Wild Hog · Wild game recipe
Smoked Wild Hog Shoulder (Pulled Pork)
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A wild hog shoulder is leaner than a store-bought pork butt, so it's smoked a little lower and wrapped earlier to keep it juicy. The result is pulled pork with real flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 wild hog shoulder, bone in (5–8 lb)
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup Brush Country Rub
Spritz
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup apple juice
For wrapping
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- Your favorite barbecue sauce, for serving
Steps
- The night before, trim off loose fat and any shot or bloodshot meat. Rub the shoulder with a thin coat of mustard and cover it generously with the rub. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
- Get your smoker steady at 250°F with oak, pecan or mesquite. Put the shoulder on fat-side up.
- Smoke about 4 hours, spritzing every hour after the first two, until the bark is set and dark mahogany and the inside is around 160–165°F.
- Lay the shoulder on a double sheet of heavy foil. Top with the butter and brown sugar, add a splash of spritz and wrap it tight.
- Return to the smoker until a probe slides in like butter, usually 195–203°F inside, another 3–5 hours.
- Rest wrapped in a dry cooler for at least 1 hour. Pull the meat, toss it with the juices from the foil and serve with sauce on the side.
Camp tip: Can't tell a young hog from an old boar? Smell the raw meat. Strong, gamy boar meat is better ground into sausage or chorizo.
Food safety: Wild hogs can carry trichinella, brucellosis and other diseases. Wear gloves when cleaning them, keep raw hog away from other food, and cook all wild hog to at least 160°F.
Gear that helps
Smoker and wood
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Leave-in probe thermometer
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