Hunting & Fishing Season 2025 & Wild Game Cooks

[texastweeter]

Due to work, I started this one late. Just a normal Saturday here in TX. Made probably 40 lbs of breakfast sausage, two loins of back bacon, and 30 lbs of ground pork. The rest (shoulders, hams, and loins) I froze whole. Will thaw and use as needed.

[HawkerXP]

Bang, bang lil piggy.

[Jerod Broussard]

They got hogs in Texas?

[texastweeter]

Just a few.

[58limited]

Looks good. I've been eating a lot of backstrap lately, mostly stir fry.

[texastweeter]

I like carne crystal but it's not made anymore. Someone here posted a copycat that is great.

[texastweeter]

Here's the thread

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/rubs-pastes-marinades-and-brines/1618696-carne-crosta-replica-odyssey

[58limited]

Thanks! Turns out I have some Carne Crosta.

[Davek8282]

Great to see you start this post again! Glad to see you start posting the wild game!

[Jerod Broussard]

Can't wait for this season. I'm back in a saddle by Tethrd. Been 4 long years.

[texastweeter]

I'm too fat for a saddle....they turn into more of a thong.

[Spinaker]

Way to go! Dang!

[Michael_in_TX]

This is one of my favorite reoccurring threads. It just reminds me of times in which my grandfather, dad, and my uncles took me hunting in the hill country when I was younger.

[texastweeter]

Well, get off your duff and pass it forward to someone. Sounds like a great excuse to get into the American outdoors!

[Oak Smoke]

texastweeter You know about where I live in central Texas. The people I’ve gotten to know here will not eat a feral pig. We are covered up in pecan and oak trees for miles. They should be the Texas version of Iberico pork. On the family land in SW Oklahoma there are literally thousands and they are wonderful to eat. Is there any reason that these pigs wouldn’t be good? So far I haven’t found anyone who has even tried one. They’ve just heard they taste bad. I can’t tell you how many pictures of beautiful slick pigs I’ve been shown and the answer is the same when you ask what they did with them. They’ve either left them lay or drug them to a ditch and threw them in it.

[texastweeter]

My guess is one of the following or a combination.

People think feral hogs taste bad. Not true. Even great big nasty stinking boars are quite good eats if you cool them quickly and age them about 10-14 days. Even if you don't, I'm pretty sure even coyote will go down when seasoned like hot breakfast sausage

You will get trichinisis. First trich is only in a small percentage of TEXAS feral hogs according to many studies. 2nd, the strain we DO have can be killed by freezing below 0° for 3 months

[texastweeter]

Third, if you cook to a safe internal temp of 145°, they are killed off. Note pulled pork, burgers, all sausage and many other dishes are cooked that high.

Finally, wild game cookery is a lost art. Unfortunately too many hunters today are faceyspace or twittergram hunters. They kill it, take a Pic, don't even gut it, and the take it to be processed into sausage...that then gets frezerburnt or given away.

[rmeugene]

The facts are, just like ANY cut of meat, but ESPECIALLY true of wild meat, you can screw it up from the get go if not taken care of from harvest straight thru to the the table.

[Jerod Broussard]

Oak Smoke This dude in Austin cooks every size at his restaurant. My last ex was leary until she ate some. Lotta people don't want to take the time to clean and butcher.

[58limited]

Jerod Broussard Now stop that, you just cost me $50.00

[texastweeter]

Hank Shaw, and Steven Rinella are also excellent sources of wild game recipes.

[Oak Smoke]

I just found a copy for sale on eBay . They want 49 dollars plus shipping. I’m going to wait.

[texastweeter]

Wild game stew. Venison chunks and ground pork. Served with cornbread which was not pictured.

[BourBonQ]

Great thread! Made a big ol' pot of Rancho Gordo buckeye beans, rice and venison sausage a couple weeks ago...

[BourBonQ]

gonna try to add a wild turkey to the menu this weekend...

[texastweeter]

Jokers can see like nobody's business.

[texastweeter]

Stuffed and wrapped feral boar (yeah one of those big ones folks say is nasty) loin with a baked tater