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Recipes · Groundhog

Groundhog (Whistlepig), Smoked Sandwiches

Groundhog · Smoked Foods · Whistlepig · Woodchuck

Groundhog (Whistlepig), Smoked Sandwiches
Prep 30
Cook 330
Serves 3-6

Ingredients

  • 6-12 pound groundhog, skinned and field dressed
  • 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 dark beer

BBQ Rub, I used Traeger’s new Big Game Rub

  • 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions

  1. Skin and dress the groundhog, taking care to remove the pearl kernel-shaped scent glands along the backbone and under the front legs (more important on older groundhogs)
  2. Rinse the groundhog well, picking off any stray hairs that might be stuck to the meat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel or two.
  3. Season the whistlepig well with your favorite BBQ rub before smoking.
  4. Liberally shake your favorite BBQ rub over all exposed meat, rubbing it into the meaty rear legs and backstraps. That’s right, whistlepigs have backstraps, and they are as good as you would imagine them to be when stripped off the backbone, rolled in seasoned flour, and fried.
  5. Place the groundhog directly on the smoker grate at a relatively low temperature. On the Traeger, we set it at 225 degrees, and allow it to slowly smoke for two to three hours, depending on the size of the groundhog. You are watching for an internal temperature of around 165 degrees in the thickest part of the ham.
  6. While the groundhog smokes, slice an onion and place it in a disposable aluminum pan or on a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to completely wrap the groundhog. Once your meat has hit the desired temperature, move the groundhog to the pan or onto the foil. If you are using foil, wrap it up and around the groundhog, forming a shallow bowl. If you are using a pan, just move the groundhog into it.
  7. Seal the smoked groundhog tightly with sliced onion and a dark beer to finish cooking.
  8. Pour in a dark beer and seal the package tightly to hold in the steam. Return the groundhog to the heat and continue to cook for another two to three hours at 250-275 degrees. Carefully remove the groundhog from the heat and pull the foil up to allow steam to escape. Move the whistlepig to a large cutting board and use two forks to shred the meat from the bone. Pour on your favorite BBQ sauce and give everything a good stir to evenly coat the meat.
  9. Serve the Smoked Whistlepig just like you would any BBQ, you might even enjoy letting your diners play a game of “Guess That Meat!”