Been trapping some hogs and pulling the backstrap out of them. Has anyone ever used the backstrap to make pulled pork in a crockpot? I've done it with pork shoulders before but thinking about doing it with the backstrap. Would be good super bowl eating!

We've used them when we smoke the whole pig....great eats....I cook at 225 for 24-36 hrs for a whole pig...similar to how a crock pot works.....give it a shot and report back....

Here is a back strap in my left hand and ham in my right....

Personally I find even domestic pork loin to be a rather dry cut for the critter. A feral one has less fat. Id probably go with a shoulder etc.

Either way brine it first, it will help.

You can add water, beer, chicken or beef broth, etc. to the crock pot to help keep it moist....

I guess if all you have is loin. Personally I would pick a different piece and do something different with the loin.

I think you’ll need more fat to make good pulled pork.

HEB has butts and backstrap on sale for $1.00 per pound today, but I regress. This is about wild hogs. I've herd that Dr Pepper in a crock pot will do the job.

Found this.

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=cmYoXtPfEs6IsQWr-JjIDA&q=dr+pepper+pork+loins

I trapped 2 hogs the other day and pulled the backstraps. I slow cooked one backstrap two days ago in my crockpot for 8 hrs. This was off of about a 75lb boar that was really fat. I left some of the fat on the outside for cooking. I marinated the backstrap overnight in olive oil, little soysauce and dash of redwine vinegar. Put on spices of my choice. I sauteed some diced onions, sweet mini bell peppers and mushrooms in olive oil in a skillet till they were all soft. I put them in the bottom of the crockpot that was on low setting. I then browned the backstrap on both sides in the skillet and put it on top of the onions, peppers and mushrooms in the crockpot. I deglazed the pan with the rest of marinate from the bag then poured it in over the top of backstrap. I added a coulple of ounces water to clean the pan and heated that then put it in the crockpot. After about 6 hours it was falling apart when I tried to turn it so I just pulled the backstrap apart with two forks. I added some BBQ sauce and stirred it well and left it in the crockpot on the warm setting for a 2 mores hours. It was really good and thinking about doing another one in a day or two. I have done venison the same way using a little beef or chicken broth to keep it moist.

Sounds great, need to put your photography skills to good use

yep, I did a couple not to long ago in a crock pot that ended up becoming shredded like pulled pork. I seasoned 2 backstraps with salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder. I then put about a TS of minced garlic along the top, heavy sprinkle of light brown sugar. Laid out about a pound of bacon with edges slightly overlapped onto saran wrap on the counter, set the backstrap on bacon and rolled up leaving the garlic/brown sugar on the top. Set in crock pot on high for 4 hours. Removed from juices and placed on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet, into the oven on broil for 4-5 minutes to crisp up the bacon. let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. It was all so tender it just fell apart, like pulled pork.

so then I made up some make shift BBQ sauce using Sweet Baby Rays original, some of the cooking juices and apple cider vinegar (to thin) ... used tongs to remove shredded pork onto a plate and each person could add sauce to their likings.

We eat quite a few hogs a year at my house. Probably 12+ a year including family/friend BBQs. It will definitely be drier and less tender than domestic pulled pork. Make sure you cook it on the low setting for a long time. It just doesn't have the insane fat content domesticated pigs have. The backstraps on pigs are actually my least favorite cut on the animal. Hams and shoulders can be amazing. I smoke the shoulders all the time and make pulled pork that is juicy and tender, cured hams turn out great, and of course sausage. Man even the ribs are really great if you get a good size(~150lb) hog. The ribs always seem to shock people when I make them. That's not to say the backstraps aren't great and the crockpot is about the only way we cook them. The easiest way is to go about 3/4 the way up the meat with broth and mix in some dry ranch dressing mix. I know that sounds gimmicky, but the dry ranch mix is just seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, etc. Everyone seems to love that and it's easy enough for my wife to make. For pulled pork just remember to cook low and long, keep some kind of liquid in it so it doesn't dry out.

Come to think of it I did make pulled pork sandwiches out of that ranch dressing mix pork. I had left overs and seasoned it with some cumin, put it in a cast iron skillet, added a few tablespoons of butter, and heated it up/fried it in that for a few minutes and it actually came out pretty good. Adding butter is always a good trick with hogs if it comes out drier than you wanted. Sometimes it may come out more "chopped" pork than pulled, but it's still good. Some wild pork ribs and the pulled pork picture for reference. It sounds like your leaving the best cuts of meat on the ground out there. Honestly, sometimes I leave the backstraps behind and take the rest. Hogs have to be the only animal I don't prefer the backstraps to almost everything else.

I agree with Cast

Yep, I do them in the Crock Pot regularly. As mentioned above, cook on Low and keep fluid (broth) in there. I season mine up and cut slits in it. Add onion, garlic, jalapenos, & a little butter. When done, remove most of the liquid and shred it with two forks. Then I re-season and it's ready to go. Even domestic pork loins are dry, but doable.

Whenever you trap some small pigs (20-40 lbs) put the shoulders or a ham in the Crock Pot like mentioned above. It'll be the best you've ever had.

I agree.

That is a fact. If you feel like putting in some work dunk the small pigs in a crawfish pot, 160 degrees for 6 minutes, scrape the hair and smoke it whole. That's a damn good way to cook for a crowd and get some good pulled pork.

HECK yeh. That reminds me, I bought a new pig scraper chingadera that attaches to a cordless drill that I haven't tried yet. Looked pretty sweet in the video I watched.

You're right, there's nothing like cooking a pig with the skin on.

I'm curious about this. Got any pictures?