Wild pig fat?

[bison123]

Howdy! Should I use wild pig fat in my sausage? If so, from where? I shot a big boar last weekend and as usual just quartered him out and then butchered for chops, sausage, and jerky. I usually get pork fat from a local butcher to make sausage (20%) but am wondering if I could/should have used some of the fat from the boar. Thoughts on using that versus domestic pig fat? thx

 

[sawhorseray]

I've killed and butchered around 70 wild hogs in my career. When I started making my own sausage about 30 years back I'd always cut the grind with 35% domestic porkbutt, nice and fatty. I always used the fat that came with the wild pig, but the porkbutt and fat that comes with it keeps the sausage nice and juicy. All wild hog meat comes out way too dry, just not enough good fat on them. The last ten years I took only nice fatty sows and would pass on the boars, way better on a dinner plate, had enough wall hangers. RAY

 

[jbo_c]

I haven’t processed a ton of wild/feral pigs, but I’ve never seen one with enough fat to make much difference. I add back fat from a local commercial butcher.

Jbo

 

[indaswamp]

Take a small piece of the back fat off the wild hog. Put it into a small frying pan and cook it slow so the fat will render out. smell the fat in the pan as it cooks...if it is musty, you will know it. IF it is clean, but just a 'porkier' smell then I use it in sausage. Best fat for smoke sausage is the hard back fat. The belly, cheeks, can throat fat can be used in fresh and breakfast sausages as it is a softer fat and will tend to render easier...you do not want grease out while smoking sausages.

All the intermuscular fat should be trimmed off and discarded.

I always mix in about 20% hard back fat from domestic pigs when making wild hog sausages. You can add 20-40% domestic meat as well if you like, depending on how strong the flavor of the wild pig is.. I tend to add more when I have a boar over 100# as the flavor can be stronger with boar meat. Sows, they are usually milder.

 

[uncle eddie]

Just curious if trichonosis is a concern with wild pig fat and making sausage...if my memory from my youth is correct (when trichonosis was a more common concern), I thought all pork was recommended to be cooked to 160F.

 

[indaswamp]

Just curious if trichonosis is a concern with wild pig fat and making sausage...if my memory from my youth is correct (when trichonosis was a more common concern), I thought all pork was recommended to be cooked to 160F.

Yes, trichinae is a concern for wild swine. But if you follow the USDA pasteurization tables for trichinae, you will be perfectly fine consuming it. Trich can be killed as low as 136*F IF you hold that temp. for a long enough period of time as shown on the charts.

The USDA use to recommend all pork be cooked to 160*F, but that has changed for domestic commercial USDA inspected pork. The instance of Trichinae has all but been eliminated in commercial stock.

 

[bison123]

Just curious if trichonosis is a concern with wild pig fat and making sausage...if my memory from my youth is correct (when trichonosis was a more common concern), I thought all pork was recommended to be cooked to 160F.

Hank Shaw has a good article about this. Basically it's very rare in wild pigs and a non-issue if frozen for a month. https://honest-food.net/on-trichinosis-in-wild-game/

 

[bison123]

Take a small piece of the back fat off the wild hog. Put it into a small frying pan and cook it slow so the fat will render out. smell the fat in the pan as it cooks...if it is musty, you will know it. IF it is clean, but just a 'porkier' smell then I use it in sausage. Best fat for smoke sausage is the hard back fat. The belly, cheeks, can throat fat can be used in fresh and breakfast sausages as it is a softer fat and will tend to render easier...you do not want grease out while smoking sausages.

All the intermuscular fat should be trimmed off and discarded.

I always mix in about 20% hard back fat from domestic pigs when making wild hog sausages. You can add 20-40% domestic meat as well if you like, depending on how strong the flavor of the wild pig is.. I tend to add more when I have a boar over 100# as the flavor can be stronger with boar meat. Sows, they are usually milder.

Thanks - where exactly is the back fat? I recall that there's a maybe 3/4" layer under the shield and on top of the backstrap. I don't remember it being "hard", though perhaps that's a relative term?

 

[indaswamp]

Yes, it is a relative term. Back fat is the fat just under the skin on the back from the head to the tail, and on the hams. The back fat layer does go a little lower over the ribs too.

I was given a big 200+ # wild sow that had a 1 1/4" fat cap on her. The belly was 1 1/2" thick and weighed 10.5#. I am making bacon out of it...4th night of cold smoke tonight....

 

[indaswamp]

Hank Shaw has a good article about this. Basically it's very rare in wild pigs and a non-issue if frozen for a month. https://honest-food.net/on-trichinosis-in-wild-game/

There is one strain of Trichinae that can survive deep freeze, and that strain is prevalent in the North and North east. IT is not in the South.

 

[indaswamp]

Hank Shaw has a good article about this. Basically it's very rare in wild pigs and a non-issue if frozen for a month. https://honest-food.net/on-trichinosis-in-wild-game/

Thanks for posting that link. I had read that article years ago, and it has been updated since then. Great info!

 

[bison123]

Yes, it is a relative term. Back fat is the fat just under the skin on the back from the head to the tail, and on the hams. The back fat layer does go a little lower over the ribs too.

I was given a big 200+ # wild sow that had a 1 1/4" fat cap on her. The belly was 1 1/2" thick and weighed 10.5#. I am making bacon out of it...4th night of cold smoke tonight....

Thx - bacon is way above my ability now! I guess when I skin the hog I'd then peel off the fat in long strips before cutting off the hams and loins (I usually quarter in the field gutlessly). A big sow will have a lot and certainly would be easier than getting from my butcher (who also charges me $4/lb for the fat they'd otherwise toss!).

 

[indaswamp]

(who also charges me $4/lb for the fat they'd otherwise toss!).

You are getting robbed! I get pastured berkshire back fat from a butcher for $0.99/#!!! Can get commercial commodity pork back fat trim for $0.69/# at my local grocer.

 

[sawhorseray]

If bringing a wild hog in to be processed cut off the front legs. Lessens the weigh-in and butchers just toss them anyway. Of course butchers aren't fond of guys doing that little trick, might turn you away. RAY

 

[indaswamp]

If bringing a wild hog in to be processed cut off the front legs. Lessens the weigh-in and butchers just toss them anyway. Of course butchers aren't fond of guys doing that little trick, might turn you away. RAY

Butcher is likely to charge you more for packaging, casing, seasoning, etc......

 

[indaswamp]

butchers just toss them anyway

Are you referring to the shanks and hocks?

 

[indaswamp]

BTW, this is a very good article reference in Hank Shaw's article:

Destruction of Trichinella spiralis spiralis during the preparation of the "dry cured" pork products proscuitto, proscuittini and Genoa salami.

Gave me more piece of mind as I have wild hog salami hanging in my chamber now....

 

[indaswamp]

Another I just found...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676616300208

 

[tallbm]

Howdy! Should I use wild pig fat in my sausage? If so, from where? I shot a big boar last weekend and as usual just quartered him out and then butchered for chops, sausage, and jerky. I usually get pork fat from a local butcher to make sausage (20%) but am wondering if I could/should have used some of the fat from the boar. Thoughts on using that versus domestic pig fat? thx

Hi there and welcome!

Great thread and info here!

I shot a sow once that had likely gotten loose and become feral for some time. She has a MASSIVE amount of fat. Like 4 inches thick in some spots.

indaswamp has you well covered on the approach to test fat.

I definitely used the fat on that sow and she had no bit of nastiness to her at all.

I find that 180lbs and under are generally pretty good to go for eating here in TX.

I've eaten boar that was well over 275lbs BUT he was the cleanest damn wild pick I've ever seen. He was on the only one on the property and had no funk to him. The whole thing was turned into sausage and OMG it was amazing!

That is not always the case, especially with boars and big ones hahaha.
Even some smelly ones were fine once the hide was off them.
I've been fortunate to not run into any that smelled like they lived in a sewer but I also am also selective on picking a good one to eat when I shoot em... if there are a few to choose from :)


Finally, I've made wild boar sausage and smoked to an Internal Temp (IT) of 165F. My smoker holds temp precisely to the degree so I can push the limits. I had to push the smoker temp up to 180F so it is possible.
If you don't have a PID controlled electric smoker then doing the same thing is likely not possible BUT you can get close and just cook on a grill later to 165F IT and you will be good to go at meal time :)

I hope all this info helps and congrats on the wild pig hauls! :D