This impressive whole small hog, deboned and stuffed with a mushroom mousseline is a real showstopper.

Deboning a small hog can be tedious, but the effort is very much worth it. Take your time, go slow and remember the concept: remove the bones while keeping the hog in one piece.

Once it is deboned, the hog is stuffed with a mousseline of lean pork or, if you've got it, another lean game bird meat. Mousseline, while sounding fancy or difficult, is pretty easy, actually. You'll just puree the meat in a food processor with cream and egg white until it's smooth, then fold in some garnishes like cooked mushrooms. 

The hog is then rolled, cinched tight with plastic wrap and allowed to set up a bit in the refrigerator, then roasted until tender and browned in a broth enriched with fortified wine. While not a simple weekday dinner, this is a great opportunity to create a showstopper meal out of smaller hog that will definitely impress some guests.

Serves 6-8

1 small feral hog (about 4-5 pounds skinned and gutted weight), deboned and left in 1 piece

Salt 

Mousseline

10 ounces lean pork, diced (or use chicken, wild turkey or any other boneless lean game bird)

½ cup heavy cream

1 egg white

Zest of 1 organic lemon

1 tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp white pepper, ground

2 tbsp butter

2 cups mushrooms such as morels, chanterelles, cremini or shiitake, chopped 

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

1 large piece of caul fat, soaked in cold water

1 onion, halved

1 carrot

2 bay leaves

2 quarts hog, venison, beef, turkey or chicken stock

1 cup port, madeira or marsala wine

Season the hog with salt and set aside while you make the mousseline.

Combine the diced pork in a food processor and puree until very smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add the egg white, lemon, salt and pepper and puree until smooth, then add the cream while the machine is running. Place the mousseline in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.

In the same small pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Brown the mushrooms very well, stirring often. Season the mushrooms with salt and add the thyme and cook for another 30 seconds. Set aside.

Lay the caul fat on a large work surface and place the hog on top, centered.

Spread the mousseline over the deboned hog, leaving a 2” border on all sides. Scatter the mushrooms over the mousseline. Roll the hog up tightly.

Next, roll the caul fat around the hog, tucking it around the ends. A double layer of caul fat is fine. Wrap the hog tightly in 3 layers of plastic wrap and twist the ends of the plastic wrap to force the hog into an even, cylindrical shape. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to one day.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the hog from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Tie the hog with kitchen twine at 2” intervals and place in a large roasting dish. Place the onion, carrot, bay, stock and port in the pan with the hog. Add enough water to come halfway up the side of the hog if needed.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the hog to expose the bottom part. 

Baste the hog with the braising liquid and continue to roast for another 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler to high and cook, turning every 5 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160°F, basting regularly. The timing will depend on the size and thickness of the hog, but should be about 45-60 minutes in total.

Once cooked, remove the hog from the pan and set aside in a warm spot. Carefully strain the liquid from the pan into a medium pot over medium-high heat and reduce until slightly thickened and about 2 cups in volume, about 20-25 minutes. Check the seasoning of the sauce.

Remove the twine from the hog and slice into ¾” rounds. Serve with mashed potatoes and the sauce spooned over.