Wild Pork Roast Question

[jbogg]

I smoked a 3 1/2 lb roast from a hindquarter yesterday that came off a large 270lb Sow. I let it sit in the fridge overnight with my favorite rub and then smoked it at 275 degrees in my Camp Chef pellet smoker. A few hours into the smoke I wrapped it in foil, spritzed it with apple juice and put it back on. I pulled it off when it reached 195 internal meat temp and let it rest covered in foil for about 45 min. I was planning on doing pulled pork sandwiches, but there was no pulling this apart. Ended up slicing it up which was still good, but not what I was going for. This meat is so lean, more like Venison than domestic pork. Wondering if cooking at a lower temp around 225 degrees would have made a difference. I did forget to put a pan of water in the smoker until I wrapped it in foil so maybe that was the reason. Any ideas from the Hog Hunters?

 

[CC Rider]

I use a mopping sauce every 30 minutes or so for two or three hours, then put meat and remaining sauce in a foil pan. Cover tightly with foil and finish cooking.

 

[NCHillbilly]

It wasn't the temp. 225 or 350, makes no difference. Wrapping was a good thing, too. What you needed to do was let it cook longer. Even with domestic pork, 195 is just a good place to start probing it. When you can stick the thermometer in like sliding it into butter, it's getting done. When you can pull the bone out with your fingers, it's done. Most of the butts and briskets I cook are probably close to 215 or so when I take them off, but I don't care about the temp as much as the feel.

 

[Big7]

Wet brine it. At least 24 hours.

Works like a charm.

 

[Dub]

Let it cook until you can stick a skewer into it and it feels like you poking it into butter.

Also...lay your rub on it....heavily....then drape a few slices of bacon over it....and rub it, too for good measure. The extra fat will only help your efforts.

Kill it & Grill it. Much respect !!!!

 

[ambush80]

I had the same experience with a couple of shoulders. I did a four hour smoke, wrapped them and cooked them for another four hours. They were still tough. I had to finish them in the oven and it took two more hours before they pulled. By that time I just threw them on the table and let the starving people go at it. The bones looked like they were dropped in piranha tank.

 

[jbogg]

Thanks for all the replies. I will definitely let it go longer next time and will probably wrap it a little sooner. The flavor was fantastic. Just polished off the leftovers, and it was even better tonight. This was my first wild hog, but it won't be my last. Much better than I imagined. I will be chasing them again the first week of small game with my Muzzle Loader. Can't wait!

 

[Bream Pole]

Ditto what NC Hilbilly said.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

It wasn't the temp. 225 or 350, makes no difference. Wrapping was a good thing, too. What you needed to do was let it cook longer. Even with domestic pork, 195 is just a good place to start probing it. When you can stick the thermometer in like sliding it into butter, it's getting done. When you can pull the bone out with your fingers, it's done. Most of the butts and briskets I cook are probably close to 215 or so when I take them off, but I don't care about the temp as much as the feel.

↑↑↑↑This man cooks some pulled pork.

If you want to pull it, you need to let it go a little longer. I cook my butts on the BGE at 250° for 18hrs. At that point, I could could slam the butt on the floor and it would fall apart. Like NCHillbilly says, I don't worry about the temp as much as do about the texture.