Is Wild Boar Good To Eat?

I spend a lot of time in the hunting community, ad it never ceases to amaze me the number of hunters who disregard wild hogs as a food source.

Or even worse, the ones who hunt them and do not eat them.

Most of them have never even tasted wild hog. When I ask them why they do not eat it, I get the same question – Is wild boar good to eat?

The answer is Yes; wild boar is good to eat.

5 Reasons Why Wild Boar is Good To Eat

I eat wild boar almost every week. It is an abundant food source with much nutritional value and, with the right approach, a level of flavor that would blow your mind.

Taste and Texture 

Is Wild Boar Good To Eat?

I first want to discuss the flavor, as this is where most people turn their noses up.

They look at wild hog as if it’s some peasant food, a dirty animal, or as if it must taste like it smells (They must never have been to a chicken farm).

However, wild hog meat is none of that. Honestly, in some cases, wild hog meat is better than venison.

Now before you shoot me down, hear me out.

I’ve cooked my fair share of both wild boar and venison and they are more similar than you might think.

Wild boar will never hold a candle to venison when it comes to prime cuts such as steaks. This is mostly because of textural differences and not flavor.

But when it comes to ground meat like meatballs, chili, or even burgers, wild hog is as good as if not better than venison.

We must remember that these animals get their flavor from their diet and habitat.

Wild boar and venison feed on similar foods leading them to have a similar taste.

Wild boar has a deep earthy flavor with hints of nuttiness and sweetness. How does that not sound good?

Related >> Wild Boar Chili Recipe

Nutritional value

Now that we have gotten the taste out of the way, let’s discuss how great the nutritional value of wild hog is.

In many respects wild boar is considered a healthier alternative to pork and beef.

  • Wild boar is lower in fat, especially saturated fats, than both pork and beef.
  • Wild boar has less than 3.3 grams of fat per 100g, and less than 1.1 grams of fat per 100 grams.
  • It’s also high in protein, with 21.3 grams of protein per 100 grams.
  • Wild boar meat is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, Zinc, and iron.
NutrientAmount per 100 grams
Calories122
Protein 21.3 grams
Fat 3.3 grams
Saturated fat 1.1 grams
Cholesterol 72 mg
Sodium 63 mg
Carbohydrates 0 grams
Iron 1.8 mg (10% DV)
Zinc 4.9 mg (45% DV)
Vitamin B12 2.6 mcg (108% DV)
DV – Daily Value

DV stands for daily value and represents the percentage of the daily recommended intake of a nutrient that is provided by a serving of wild boar meat. These values are based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.

Related >> Wild Boar Meat Disadvantages

Cooking & Diversity

Another great benefit of incorporating wild boar into your diet is the diversity of the meat.

With a few minor tweaks wild boar could be easily used where you would use venison or beef.

There isn’t a dish I’ve made yet where wild boar didn’t work.

I’ve used it in stir frys, curries, meatballs, burgers, jerky (Yes you’ve read that right), pulled wild boar, and the list goes on.

The main difference I find with wild boar is the texture of the prime cuts, the tenderloin and backstrap.

I find these cuts to be stringier than venison. However, I have still successfully made steaks, roasts, and other dishes from them.

The only thing to be aware of with wild boar when cooking is trichinosis. However, once the internal temperature of the meat reaches 150F this will eradicate the parasites making the food safe to eat.

A good food thermometer would be useful for this

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Related >> Wild Boar Rogan Josh Recipe

Abundance 

Is Wild Boar Good To Eat?

It’s no secret that parts of the continental U.S. are overrun with wild boar. Most places have no limits on harvesting; meaning take as much as you can.

Some guys will spend months sitting around waiting to draw a tag when they could be out filling their freezers with equally as good meat. 

At the time of writing, the state of Texas has no restrictions on bag limits.

This means a guy could go to the grocery store and buy some overpriced beef or head out to the woods and harvest as much superior meat as he needs.

Related >> What Does Wild Boar Taste Like

Environmental Impact

Not only are you doing yourself a favor by consuming wild boars, you are also doing the environment a favor.

Right now the wild boar population is too high in many states. And with few predators to keep this population in check it’s spiraling out of control and causing environmental damage.

Wild boars are known to cause damage to crops, forests, and other natural habitats.

This is due to their method of feeding. Wild boars dig up the gound while feeding which leads to soil erosion and degradation.

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