More on Smoking........

[Earl W Story]

 I'm sold on the idea of the Electric smoker for it's all around convenience.

Now: #1- Do Y'all prefer to smoke fish bone in or fillet?  

#2 - Soak in salt water or marinate ?

#3 - How long do you smoke the fish? To a certain temp. or appearance of the fish?

Lastly a note of confession: Years ago when I was a knee walking, commode hugging drunk I bought a charcoal smoker and decided to smoke a boned out turkey. I ended up with turkey jerky and never tried again. 

So with that in mind I really don't have any idea what I'm doing but really want to learn how.    

[JBplusThuy]

Wild pigs aren't too common (yet) here in San Diego County, but there are tons of them up in the greater SF Bay area. One evening shore fishing at Coyote Reservoir (San Jose) I saw a big heard of big wild pigs coming down to the water to drink. I made sure I kept about 200 yards from them.

IIRC there's no limit on wild pigs in California either, but what is kind of limited is land on which you can shoot them. Half of the Coyote Lake shoreline is parkland, and the other half is a private cattle ranch. Well, I guess you can shoot them there if you know the owners and they trust you to know the difference between a feral hog and a cow :)

[Allen Morgan]

Talk to the rancher(s) about the feral hogs.  Ask if they've noticed patches of ground getting torn up.  That could be a potential hazard for the cattle.  If the rancher has a hog problem, he might be VERY willing to let some good hunters thin out that sounder of feral hogs.

[Tony Livingston]

I'd like to try wild hog, as I've heard completely contradictory reports as to how edible it is....I wonder if the size or sex of the animal ,as well as the butchering/cooking technique comes into play here.

[Allen Morgan]

Tony, not sure about the sex playing a part of the how tender the meat is, but the age ("size") and cooking technique definitely play into this.  The more an animal ages, the more connective tissue from collagen to elastin.  "Collagen" is a type of connective tissue that will break down into gelatin when it's cooked in a moist-heat method.  "Elastin" is a type of connective tissue that will not break down into gelatin when cooked.

Also, "moist-heat" cooking methods are simmering/stewing, braising (sear, then simmer), steaming, poaching, and smoking.  Most folks equate smoking with a dry-heat method like grilling or roasting, but because it's usually in a covered container, steam gets trapped in there.  Believe it or not, a little steam is released by the combustion of wood.

FWIW, I've had feral hog before.  Extremely tasty stuff!

[Tony Livingston]

Thanks Allen, it seems like everyone I talk too has a different opinion on the palatability of wild hog. I've heard instances where the gamey taste was so strong as to cause it to be thrown out....hence my take on the sex of the animal coming into play.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Tony , any boar over 200 pounds is going to be a little strong and a little stringy, but  cooking and butchering, and marinates  can help a lot , young pigs less than 100 lbs are sweet and can be tender with low and slow cooking techniques, a pig in a pit is a reason for a good time. I  didn't care for deer until I started cooking it myself, and I can still say I wont  eat just any ones deer  and I guess thats true for  wild hogs , if the people cooking it know what they are doing  it will be good,if not your on your own, it might be stringy and strong , So far it's been good for us, a 40 pounder will fit on my grill perfect.  LOFR

[Tony Livingston]

That's kind of what I figured LOFR......I'm pretty picky about how I process my animals also, and good prep and a knowledgeable cook can make all the difference in the world.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Tony , your right , I process all my own game with how I'm going to cook it in my head while I'm doing it, I picky but thats what it takes in my book , and that 's why I put my fish on ice as soon as I catch them. LOFR

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

I know  how to cook a pig in the ground but have never dont it because there has not been that many people there to eat it , but I have cooked whole hogs on big grills , still a big time , and it takes lots of focus to make it come out right, I cook stuff like I want to eat it, didn't get this fat eating out. LOFR

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

I also cut my own wood for smoke , i prefer  a oak / hickory mix, both are good but neither overpower each other, and at times I use pans for adding steam to the smoke, this spring I'm going to play with mushrooms stuffed with  bluegill fillets with  a cheesy breading on the top with butter and garlic , come on spring. LOFR

[Allen Morgan]

I prefer a mix of Oak and Pecan.  Oak and Hickory are good, as is Oak and Mesquite.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Did you know pecan is a member of the hickory family ?  I use all kinds of woods and each has their own special flavor and place in smoking, sugar maple is good too. LOFR