Smoking wild boar is an incredible experience. There are different opinions on how to properly smoke meat. Experiment and have fun. The basic issues to control when smoking meat are:
- Keep a low temperature when cooking.
- Maximize the most moisture retention to create a delectable, juicy meal.
LOW COOKING TEMPERATURE
Keep it around 200°F – 225°F. The goal is to slowly raise the internal temperature of the meat to 180°F, and then hold it there for about an hour. Cooking time will be about 1.5 – 2 hours per pound of meat, but can vary based on thickness. Pull the meat when it reaches an internal temperature of 190°F or even 200°F. It is not recommended going much higher than that for very long, because it will steam – and you will lose precious moisture. Lower cooking temperatures of 180°F can be applied, but it should be cooked much longer.
MOISTURE RETENTION
Moisture retention is especially important when smoking wild game meats, because they are typically much leaner than other meats.
BRINING
A basic brine recipe is 1 cup of table salt per 1 gallon of water. Subtle flavourings can be infused into the meat by including sugar (1/2 cup per 1 gallon of water), garlic cloves, onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, herbs, or just about anything else. The primary purpose of brining is to increase the moisture content of the meat prior to cooking. Mix and stir the water and salt until it dissolves. For large quantities, you may have to heat the water to make the salt dissolve. If you do heat the brine, cool it off before adding meat. Add the meat and allow it soak for several hours in the refrigerator.
BASTING
Just about any liquid will do as long as it is low in sugar. Sugar burns quickly so only add glazes and BBQ sauces (which are loaded with sugar) during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
BARDING
Covering the meat with fatty bacon or other fats while it cooks is another technique.
SMOKING IN THE SMOKER
Preheat to 200°F – 225°F. Smoke for 1.5 – 2 hours per pound, using mesquite wood. If you want smoke flavour use your smoker for the first 1 – 2 hours to infuse some smoke flavour into the meat. Wrap the meat in foil, and finish the cooking. This can be done either in the smoker or in the oven. You will have a wonderful piece of smoked boar to enjoy. – See more at: http://www.north-america.bradleysmoker.com/recipe/smoked-wild-boar-recipe/#sthash.UjmgYk4k.dpuf
