wild boar meat

Boar is more tender than pork, you can cook it medium rare if you're doing the tender loin (or at least that's how it was served to me at a restaurant on Sanibel Island).

If it is true wild boar and not farm raised trichinosis is an issue with medium rare. I would take it just past that for safety. Flavor wise it can take a bit more seasoning than the standard farm raised nasty pork :lol:

Buglette,

If I understand you correctly, your question concerns "minced haunch," as in, "minced" (which we 'muricans call "ground"), and "haunch" Here, the haunch sometimes includes the loin, and sometimes not. Since you're mincing, I'm going to assume that your haunch does not.

So what we're left with is, you want to make and use ground boar meat.

Wild boar has less fat altogether than domestic swine. This doesn't make it more or less tender, but does increase its propensity to cook dry. Most boar fat is "soft fat," while most pig fat is "hard fat." Soft fat doesn't taste very good, while hard fat does.

If fresh or fresh-frozen, wild boar haunch should be soaked in icy cold water for at least 24 hours before preparing for mincing. The haunch should be deboned, and trimmed very clean with all visible fat removed and discarded (got dogs?). Cube the meat, and add some cubed pork fat to it, in order to get a respectable fat content of at least 15% (20% is better, IMO). Chill the cubed meat and fat, before mincing (grinding).

You can use ground boar in any way you'd use ground pork -- in addition to the Scotts/English and Northern European things which leap immediately to your Caledonian mind you can do terrines, pates de campagne, rillettes, parfaits, and a bunch of effete Frenchified stuff as well. Vive la Frenchified!

And, if pork likes fruit -- boar is nuts about it. Same thing with spice.

As long as you remember to trim the soft fat, replacing and adding to it with good, hard fat, ye'll nae gae agley.

BDL

That's way too broad of a statement to have a lot of validity. All wild boar meat is not automatically going to contain trichinosis any more than all farm raised meat is going to be exempt.

Trichinosis in farm raised pork is a non-issue. Wild pork and bear meat have a very high probability of trichinosis. "Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. Infection occurs commonly in certain wild carnivorous (meat-eating) animals but may also occur in domestic pigs." from Trichinellosis Fact Sheet | Division of Parasitic Diseases | CDC

I trust you realize that their is a significant difference between farm raised pork (hogs) and wild boars. Earlier you made a blanket statement that "trichinosis IS an issue with MR" but only if it's not farm raised. That's just not accurate. In fact you appear to be contradicting yourself as you noted Trichinosis can (and does) occur in domestic animals as well. Domestic pork IS farm raised unless you are trying to toss feral hogs into the mix which is another whole can of worms (pun intended). If you are in the USA you are not working with "true wild boar" unless you are using imported game as all boars in the USA both free range and on ranches are hybrids.
In regards to bear meat there are indeed some areas where trichinosis is an issue like some GMU's in AK. In other states and even in many GMU's in AK that is a non-issue in bear flesh.
While it is true that wild boar or feral hogs are more likely to have the parasite you are trying to paint with a very broad brush and such absolutes just don't fly. Estimates by some are that .125 % of all farm raised pork still carries the parasite. That's millions of potential exposures annually in the USA alone.
In regards to trichinosis from ranched boar meat being safe one of the studies done by the CDC indicated that over 15% of the recorded outbreaks were from boar meat purchased directly from farms and another 10% was purchased from markets. Suggesting ALL farm raised boar meat is safe and all wild game is infected is simply not accurate. Not by a long shot.

unless you are using imported game as all boars in the USA both free range and on ranches are hybrids.

Strictly speaking, this isn't 100% true.

Yes, the majority of "wild boar" in the U.S. are actually feral hogs (such as the famed razorbacks of the Ozark Mountains), or croses of wild and domestic swine. But there is one noteable exception: in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina there is a wild population of true wild boar. These had escaped in the late 1920s or early '30s from a private preserve that imported Russian and European wild boar. For two reasons they were able to breed true: 1. the remoteness of the area provided vast acreage for them to forage with no farm animals nearby, and 2. because NC has had a fence law since 1935, there were no free-ranging domestic pigs for them to cross with.

The "wild boar" found on most private game clubs nowadays are usually wild-trapped feral hogs, most of which come from Florida. Those are, indeed, hybrids, with some true wild boar included in the mix. Very often, however, they do throw an almost pure example. The first such boar I ever hunted was indistinguishable from a Roosian---totally black except for a little snow on his cheeks, and self-sharpening tusks that would really do a number on anything they came in contact with.

Peccary, native to Texas and the southwest, are a distant cousin to wild boar. But in many respects, at least from a culinary point of view, they can be treated the same.

I believe it is accurate at least in the sense of game animals or game ranches producing meat. There has indeed been a few groups of pure wild boars brought into the USA in recent years but AFAIK those were not for this purpose. There is always the possibility that there may be a single isolated pure bred group left but as of yet that has not been documented.
As you noted the last true "wild boars" as in the species (not just hogs running wild) were released prior to the 1920's in a few states including California and Texas. By the 1960's those groups were no longer distinguishable as "boars" according to biologists. There are plenty of game ranches with feral hogs and hybrids that use the term "wild boar" in a generic sense. AFAIK there is not one of those in the USA with a hunting or breeding program of "true" wild boars but rather European Hybrids. When those cross breed with feral or domestic hogs they can not throw a pure bred or almost pure bred wild boar. That's genetically impossible. I assume what you are talking about is feral hogs that grow tusks. Feral hogs can do that but that does not indicate they are "boars" (species). It doesn't help any that many simply refer to large males with tusks as "boars". There is a report from the biologists at Texas Parks and wildlife that researched the lineage of true wild boars (species) in the US and that you may find interesting. Peccary or javelina are indigenous and IIR they are technically neither pigs or hogs. If you think you can treat them the same in a culinary sense I am going to go out on a limb and guess you have never dealt with one of those stinky little buggers or you are just a bad whammmer jammer. They smell as bad as a Caribou in rut!
Piiiiiiiiieeeeeew:lol:
You may find this interesting as it addresses a few points you hit on.


Distinguishing Feral Hogs From Introduced Wild Boar And Their Hybrids

Trichinosis in farm raised pork has become exceedingly rare and overall there is less of it "From 1997 to 2001, an annual average of 12 cases per year were reported in the United States." so yes it is possible but most cases are related to wild or feral animals and not farm raised pork (and I am not defending factory farm raised pork, I think is is tasteless).

That statistic includes all cases of trichinois reported in that period (USA) including wild game so trichinosis has become un-common over all and not just from farm raised pork. Even if we attribute 100% of the 12 annual cases to game meat we have no idea if any of that is from wild boar. In years past there have been 12 cases or more from a single incident. I do agree with you that farm raised pork may be safer in regards to trichinosis but most farmed meat is also pumped full of steroids and anti-biotics and other potential hazards. I just don't see game meat as some thing to fear.

I just don't see game meat as some thing to fear.

I don't think Mary was even hinting at that, DuckFat. She was just pointing out a potential problem.

The whole argument leaves me cold. Even in the old days, when the parasites and disease were more common, the numbers just didn't justify the hysteria. Sort of like the recurrent botullism arguments---the actual risk factor is so small as to be ignorable; which is what I do.

including wild game so trichinosis has become un-common over all and not just from farm raised pork.

I don't think that's a warranted conclusion. Why? Because the amount of wild game consummed by Americans is miniscule. So there's no basis for drawing any conclusion about the presence or absence of the parasites in wild game animals.

Most game eaten in America comes from farm raised animals, so that doesn't count on this discussion point.

The only issue I have is with the blanket statement that there IS an absolute issue with wild boar and that there is no issue with farm raised pork. I don't know if she meant CAFO pork or farm raised game but there is simply no current documentation to support that or any reason to fear using boar meat. I don't want my ground pork or boar MR either way but that has nothing to do with trichinosis. I can think of a few issues with CAFO pork that far out weigh that of wild boar. I wonder how many continue to kill pork (wild and farmed) twice out of irrational fear.




I agree. By all accounts the it's basically a non-issue.

I'm not sure I understand your point here. The statistic that Mary is quoting from the CDC regarding 12 cases a year includes ALL reported cases. That includes game meat. I am not drawing any conclusions about game meat or farm raised meat at large based on those statistics other than to simply state that 12 cases a year is so absurdly small it's a non-issue even *IF* all 12 cases annually in the US are from game meat. Which we simply do not know to be a fact.
What we do know is that there have only been an average of 12 cases a year reported over the last several years so it's clear that reported cases of trichinosis have become un-common.


I'm not sure where you are getting that statistic from but I would be very interested in seeing any supporting documentation. While it's just my opinion I do disagree. We literally have millions of sportsmen across the USA harvesting tons of game meat annually and consuming it. The consumption of farm raised game meat in the USA is fairly small and that includes imported game. The majority of which I would think to be venison.
If there is a case of trichinosis in the US it is reported to the CDC irrespective of whether or not the culprit was farm raised game, wild game or CAFO pork.

My main point was to make sure you cook pork to around 145 internal. That won't dry it out. I don't think you could get me to eat rare pork no matter where it came from. CAFO pork tastes nasty to me and I try to avoid it when possible.

I Agree Mary. This year I have been driving a ways on a pork run to pick up Berkshire pork shoulders. The last time I was over that way one of the markets I hit had boar shoulders (farm raised) for $9.99# but they were already sold out. After getting used to the Berkshire pork the run of the mill CAFO stuff is like eating tasteless pulp.
Since we are already on the pig topic has any one else tried the Duroc ham by Bruce Aidells at Costco?
Good stuff. :thumb:

I'm interested to know if someone can describe how Berkshire tastes and cooks compared to a Duroc or Hampshire? Now I need to find a local swine grower, especially with all the Pietrain introduced into commercial producing in the last decade...

Hi!!!

Amazed to be aware of this fantastic recipe which i had never been heard before.
It is a fantastic recipe. i want to try this recipe but i have one problem i want to get information about few of its ingredients.
Can you help me? If yes, then please tell me what exactly Greek yogurt is? I am a food reviewer and i enjoy confronting with new recipes and i want to add this recipe to my list list of favorites.

Thanks for telling me this recipe.

Neha Sood
Food Reviewer

I have not tried a Hampshire but Berkshire shoulders to me are like prime beef. It is full of fat and very rich. The Duroc I have tried is a bit leaner than the berkshire with a more firm flesh. Both are light years ahead of CAFO pork in flavor and fat content.

Neha,

You've found the wrong thread to post your request; it would have been better in its own. But don't worry, we won't torture you or exact revenge.

"Greek yogurt" is ordinary, whole milk yogurt which has been partially drained in order to thicken it to a stiffer, custard-like consistency. Because there's less water, it packs a bit more tang than ordinary yogurt.

Hope this helps and hope you find it,
BDL

Hello!!!

Thanks so much for your help. Yah, i realized that i had posted this thread in a wrong section.
But it's really nice on your part that u had spent your precious time in answering my query.

Nice talking to you.. thanks again..
Hope to be in contact with you in the future to have othervaluable information from you guys in this amazing forum.

Neha Sood

Pork from whatever source, should be thoroughly cooked.

My family raised primarily Duroc, but the few occasions we had Hampshire I recall it being more lean (and though my mom is a good cook, that equated to dry and chewy). They grew a bit faster and larger, which might explain the tendency toward lean meat... Now I want sweet and sour pork...