There is no official record detailing the dates on how wild boar sausage came to be in Texas, when it started and where. All we know is that Texans have been making sausages since the Spanish brought the chorizo and the German and Czech immigrants brought European-style sausages to Texas in the 19th century, that the wild boar population in Texas have been a problem since they were introduced in Texas in the 1930s and started breeding feral hogs, that Texans were eating wild boar meat not long after that, and that today, wild boar sausages are very popular in Texas.
Wild Boar Sausage Trivia
- Despite hunting them all year long, the overpopulation of wild boar is currently a major problem in Texas.
- As per 2020 reports, the population of wild boar in the US is already at 9 million spread all across 39 states. Wild boars used to be found in 17 states only.
- Elgin, Texas is considered the Sausage Capital of Texas.
- Texas spends 4 million USD to control the growing wild boar population.
- Wild boars wreck havoc and the cost is estimated at 2.5 billion USD in annual damages.
- Many Texas sausage makers combine deer and wild boar meat when making sausage because this is a delicious sausage.
Wild Boar Sausage Buying Guide
Where to buy wild boar sausages? Your first stop should be the supermarket or grocery. If it is not available there, look for specialty stores, butcher shops, or delicatessen selling exotic meats. Your last option is ordering online.
If this is your first time eating wild boar meat, buy wild boar sausages in small quantities. While wild boar meat, in general, tastes better than regular pork, there is still a chance you may not like it, and should this happen, it is a good thing you didn’t buy a lot.
If this is your first time buying wild boar sausage and you don’t know which brand to buy, ask friends for recommendations or read online reviews. Or simply read the packaging and choose the healthiest option from the items available. Read the details in the packaging and compare details like sodium content to help you decide which is a better choice for you.
Check the expiration date or best-before date. If you are planning to cook it later, make sure to buy wild boar sausages with an expiration or best before date suitable to the date you are planning to cook it.
Check the packaging for signs of tampering or product safety issues. The safety and quality of the product may have been compromised during transport and handling. In any case, do not buy frozen wild boar sausages with damaged packaging. Report this to the store attendant so that it is checked, and if necessary, removed from the freezer to avoid having customers less attentive to details buy it.
Ordering online is convenient, but buying from the store is still better because you can inspect the product before you pay for it.
Wild Boar Sausage Production & Farming in Texas
Commercial production – There is a big population of wild boars in Texas, which is why the production of wild boar meat and wild boar sausages is a big industry in Texas that supplies not just Texas-based stores like Hudson Meats (Austin), but stores operating outside of Texas as well, serving other states where there is demand for wild boar sausage. For example, Exotic Meat Market sells wild boar sausages sourced from a farm in San Antonio, Texas. Steaks and Game also sells wild boar sausage, sourced from Texas Hill Country, which you can order online. Beck & Bulow, which is located in nearby Santa Fe, New Mexico, sources its wild boar sausages from Texas too.
Organic, artisanal, small-batch wild boar sausages – There are also several small, local businesses specializing in making organic, artisanal, small-batch wild boar sausages they call country sausages because these weren’t produced using commercial production processes. Another selling point of these products is that they are a healthy alternative compared to commercially-produced wild boar sausages which are oftentimes loaded with unhealthy additives and preservatives.
Personal consumption – The processing of wild boar is also a thriving industry as a result of the hunting activity in places close to where there is hunting activity. Many hunters send the wild boars they kill in any of the several processing sites serving hunters who would rather have professionals do the job, and part of the service is turning wild boar meat into wild boar sausages which they can store at home for personal consumption.
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals:
Any of the following may be present in a commercially-produced wild boar sausage.
- Citric acid – This is used to control the acidity of the sausage.
- Collagen casing – This is used as a sausage casing.
These additives help with curing the meat:
- Ascorbic acid/Sodium ascorbate
- Sodium erythorbate
These additives are used to manipulate the texture and mouthfeel of the sausage:
- Modified food starch
- Phosphates
These additives are used to inhibit the growth of bacteria and enhance safety:
- Lactate/diacetate
- Lauric arginate
These additives are used for improving or influencing the flavor of the sausage:
- Dextrose
- Autolyzed Yeast Extract
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Maltodextrin
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Sorbitol
- Yeast extract
Geography
Wild boar sausages are made and sold in the US, as well as in several European and Asian countries, in Australia, and Canada. It is difficult – if not impossible – to find wild boar sausages sold in Muslim countries since they are forbidden to eat pork.
Packaging:
Commercial wild boar sausages are sold in vacuum-sealed plastic packaging. The packaging contains important product information like the name of the manufacturer and where the product was made, ingredients and nutritional data, expiration or best-before date, and storage and handling instructions, among other things.
Enjoying Wild Boar Sausages
Eating wild boar sausage is no different from eating beef or pork sausage. And because wild boar meat is lean and low in cholesterol compared to domesticated pork meat, wild boar sausage is the better choice over pork sausage or even beef sausage.
The taste of wild boar meat is usually sweet with a hint of nutty flavor – that is, if the wild boar that was slaughtered were eating grass and nuts and not foraging on garbage bags, which is the case for wild boars that live in or near urban or suburban locations that have little to no vegetation.
You can use wild boar sausage in any dish where you would normally use pork or beef sausage. You can cut it into smaller slices and saute it with vegetables or use it when making a casserole. You can use it in a pasta dish or use it as toppings for pizza. You can use wild boar sausage as stuffing for rolled pita, baked squash, or fresh tomatoes, or mix it with beans and rice. If you are having a barbecue, why not cut wild boar sausages into smaller pieces, put them in a skewer along with cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, and pineapple, and grill it kebab style.
Storage:
Wild boar sausages should be stored in the freezer.
Make your own wild boar sausage pasta
Making a pasta dish is easy. Prep time is short and the ingredients are easy to find – normally, these are available in your pantry or if you go out to do grocery shopping, these items are not hard to find. Pasta is a good food to cook because it is easy to eat, it is filling, it is delicious, and it is nutritious too. If you have guests coming over or it is just you and your family, a pasta dish always promises to be delicious and enjoyable. For the wild boar sausage pasta, prep time is 15 minutes, and cook time is 30 minutes.
Yield:
This recipe yields 6 servings.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 pound pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound wild boar sausages, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 14.5-ounce can of chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 10-ounce pack of frozen chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Method
Step 1. Prepare the pasta. Boil salted water in a large pot, then add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 2. Cook sausage in a skillet. Add onion and garlic. Then add broth, basil, and tomatoes.
Step 3. After 5 minutes. Add the spinach and then simmer until the spinach is tender.
Step 4. Add pasta and mix everything. Remove from the stove and sprinkle with cheese.
