Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Wild Ham for Easter - Recipe Suggestions?

Fellas, I have a half dozen frozen hams from the March Campfire Hog Hunt sitting in my freezer. I'd like to cook one for Easter dinner. I'll be away from home Thursday-Sunday, with access to a large-ish gas grill, but no real smoker. The hams are all from 140-160 pound sows, to give you an idea of size... about 12 to 15 pounds each.

Any suggestions? Brine or no brine? Slow roast? Bake? I'm open to suggestions!

Doc,
Being from ferals I would brine and slow cook them. Typically that sized sow is excellent. Since they are so very lean the brine would infuse cellular and add some moisture. Slow cooking would allow ham to develop full flavor profile. If you have a large electric roaster it is ideal for what you’re doing. Just my opinion but based on cooks at our gatherings. Good luck. Enjoy and Happy Easter.

Start brining now. Take out of brine 12 hours before smoke begins and put in fridge to dry out. Then smoke it.

OK... brine it is!

Now... brine recipe suggestions?

The wild hogs we had served to us on a Texas hunt a few years back would have not tasted any worse if they were marinated in diesel fuel.
Just saying.

Idea! ...give away ..and go buy a cure81 ! Lol

Cook them in a bbq pit with mesquite wood.

I have done several feral hog hams using a sweet ham brine. But when I do it takes 10-14 days to brine. They are the best hams ever. I use the same brine for domestics. The Ferals come out darker and more flavorful.

5 days of brine??

Seems a bit much.

ETA: recipe for a long brine?

What atv said.

Doc, sows work well and are perfect for that. Might I suggest this:
READY IN: 4hrs 30mins SERVES: 10
UNITS: US
Ingredients
Nutrition

1 (5 lb) pork roast, trimmed of fat
1 head of grated fresh garlic
2 tablespoons crushed dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated pepper
8 oranges, juice of, Valencia
6 limes, juice of
1⁄2 cup blood orange juice (juice of 2 oranges) (optional)
1⁄4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons light tasting olive oil, plus
1⁄4 cup light tasting olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced and separated into 1/4 inch thick rings

Directions

Combine 1/2 of the grated garlic, all of the dried oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper into a paste.
Score the trimmed roast with a knife point and rub the paste into the roast, then place roast in a gallon freezer bag or other dish/container that will fit in the refrigerator.
Pour juice of 3 oranges, juice of 3 limes, the red wine, and 2 teaspoons of the lite olive oil over the roast, seal bag and turn the bag several times to combine the ingredients.
Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or the day before you plan to serve.
Heat oven to 350°F.
Place roast and marinade in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and roast until the meat falls apart when pulled with a fork, 3 to 4 hours, up to 6 depending on the cut- it must become fork tender.
Remove roast from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes, then pull roast into shreds with a fork, leaving the meat in the pan juices- it's ready to serve.
Prepare Mojo Criollo: put onion slices in a bowl deep enough for the onions to be covered with the juice (I use a 2-cup glass measuring cup).
Put the rest of the fresh grated garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, juice of 3 limes and juice of 5 oranges and the optional juice of 2 blood oranges over the onions, press down to make sure onions are submerged in the juice.
Allow the onions to marinate in this mixture for at least 20 minutes (important step).
Heat 1/4 cup of the lite olive oil in a skillet.
Quickly and carefully, pour the onions and all the juices into the hot oil and"stir fry" for about 2 to 3 minutes, just to soften the onions.
Pour the Mojo into a serving dish and serve with the roast on the side.

Jorge, hanco, thanks for the suggestions.

The rest of yez Philistines... thanks for playin'.

Pics would be good when it's finished.

Way to pay attention.

The best thing to do with a raw (uncured/smoked) ham is to score the hide into squares so you don't cut into the meat too deeply. Then dry rub and garlic plug the schit out of it.

When it comes out of the oven/smoker/fryer/whatever, you'll have a bunch of peel away chicharones on top and delicious pork down below. I actually prefer to cook these to the point that they don't break down (pulled pork) and slice it sandwich or pork loin style.

They're awesome.

Doc, ive had 200 lb sows necks split and cooked on bbq pits be the best hog ive ever eaten except for prime blue label smoked bacon. Ive had a ham from a 350plus lb boar, that didnt stink, cooked over an open pit that was so good it had guys contemplating going to the dump to salvage the rest of the boar.

Im thinking you best call Roger.

Two Words; sous vide.

Did you miss the part where he explained he doesn't have a pit?

You never smoked anything on a grill?

I'm afraid he's behind the eight ball on the brine, might not turn out.