The Roasted Pig Project

[tedtheewen]

Last year, some friends and I, decided to roast a pig. It didn't happen but now that spring is starting we're talking about it again.

I'm now in the planning stages of roasting a whole pig. I've been collecting links and watching videos, scanning forums and searching threads.

I guess the first question I have is about the grate the pig is going to be on while it is over the coals.

The gameplan so far is to use concrete blocks to form the pit, use charcoal, and roast Porky on a metal grate of some kind.

I know plenty of welders who can make something for me but do I need to make one I can flip or do I need to have a cover? If I sandwich Porky between two grates and flip him every few hours, does that mean I will lose flavor?

If I flip Porky after a few hours, does that make the meat too dry, as opposed to having a cover of some kind?

Like I said, I'm in the early planning stages and nothing is written in ink. If anybody has roasted a pig in this fashion, I would love some tips. Also, if you have a link you think I should check, kindly posting it would be great. I've done the googling and youtubing searches. Google is our friend. Be nice to the google.

Ted

 

[Andy M.]

I've seen whole pigs roasted on a spit wrapped in chicken wire. The constant turning makes the pig self-basting. You'll need lots of wood/charcoal as a pig will require half a day or more to cook, depending on size.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Roasting a pig requires either a rotisserie, or a large enough pit, with a cover, to allow indirect cooking. The rule is the same as in the oven, you want a low/slow fire. I would suggest that you get your hands on some alder, maple, or fruit wood and soak it for a day or so. You can place the wood over the hot charcoal to create smoke and moisture while the pork cooks, and to block the direct heat from the fire so that the meat cooks by convection rather than infra-red radiation. The former with create even roasting, while the latter will be hot where the radiation strikes the meat.

Use a meat thermometer to determine when the pig is cooked through. With a divided bed of coals, and wet wood to protect the meat, you shouldn't need to turn the pig. A flavorful mop can be applied to enhance the meat. But know that the flavor of whatever you mop the pig with will only be on the outer skin of the meat. Sugary sauces should be made and served along with the carved meat, so as not to scorch in the heat of the pit.

To season the whole pig, soak it in a brine solution for several hours before cooking, overnight if possible. That way, everything will be seasoned, not just the outer layer.

Hope that helps.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[pacanis]

Any pig roast I've been to they were always done on a rotisserie, some over an open fire, some in a large grill with a cover. Not counting a luau, where they were buried in a pit. But... I seem to remember some competition cooking show where a whole pig was cooked on a grate like you are saying. I believe they laid the pig open (think spatchcocked chicken, only reciprocating saws were involved). And I also remember some of the cooks being worried about drying the thinner sections out, which did happen. I'm pretty sure the pig was also covered and not flipped.

 

[JRinKC]

Pig Roasting

Check into Meadow Creek Pig Roasters. The best way to cook a pig. Meadow Creek BBQ: Barbecue grills, sauces, roasters, smokers, seasoning and accessories and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D-R26XiS4E for a video of it in action. Order directly from Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply.

(The Amish family that makes these units are friends of mine.)

 

[CWS4322]

Oh--I love pig roasts! Send me the directions, and I'm there. I'll bring sides <g>. In another lifetime, I lived in North Dakota. The "farmers" used to do beef roasts. They did the beef in a pit...and I used to go with my "cowboy/cowgirl friends to Montana to visit their cousins who were also cowboys and cowgirls--there was always a pig roast when we went to Montana...I wanna say the did it in a pit...but not 100% sure on that. Perhaps s/one from Hawaii can tell you how they do their infamous pig roasts...Oh--so good. I'm acting like a Saint Bernard...drooling...(maybe that's why they carry the kegs...drooling makes you thirsty).

(I know all about drool--I share my life with 3 Saints right now, but I've had as many as 6 in the house at one time...)

 

[CraigC]

Caja China! If roasting is your thing. Whole hog on the stick burner, may require up to 24 hours of cook time and several hours of prep. The Caja China requires about the same, just different ingredients. I love both methods.

Craig

 

[tedtheewen]

You know, I was thinking about doing it rotisserie style but I was wondering about the motor and all that goes with that. That would mean I need a source of power for it. I doubt I could con a group of people to spin Porky for several hours. Of course, it would be fun to try.

I've seen a number of videos on doing it with a rotisserie and a pit. I'm wondering if I should do chicken wire or use a metal rack so Porky is splayed out. That would have to be made custom, I think. No problems there, but whenever I see one I keep wondering how the meat falls off the bone but the pig stays on the steel bar.

 

[JRinKC]

More on pigs

If you'd prefer to use a rotisserie method, I've used the unit from here: Big John Charcoal Rotisseries . I still prefer the Meadowcreek unit. Best results with the least work of any method I've used.

John Ross, Ph.B.

 

[Rocklobster]

A friend of mine roasts pigs for catered events. He no longer roasts entire hogs. He just roasts the butt end and the shoulders. It looks like two big roasts. He claims that these areas are where most of the meat come from and they are comparible in size so they require close to the same amount of time. He also says it is quicker and easier this way. He uses chicken wire.

Personally, I would prep it like the Italians do their Porchetta.

 

[CWS4322]

Oh--Rocklobster, my friend Jo's Granny's never used that much of the pig for her porchetta...I use about a 3-5 lb shoulder roast (boneless, that I can open like a book, pound flat, and roll) and I use Granny's recipe...but I don't know how many of those she'd do for a reunion, wedding, etc. I know that a 4 lb porchetta roast serves 2 (because we can't stop eating it...it is AMAZING if you've never had porchetta, try it...it is a flavor sensation you will not forget).

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

This is outside a road side local cafe in Croatia, whole lambs and on occasion young goat are also cooked this way.
I cooked a suckling pig on the rottis of my bompani range for chrimbo

 

[buckytom]

my buddy ozzy and i used to roast a whole pig for his birthday every year. we kept up the tradition for almost 20 years until his passing.

one of his friends welded a 6 foot long steel grill "table" with heavy duty adjustable forks (made from a weight lifting bench) on the ends and a motorized, bicycle chain driven spit. definitely the way to go if you have the equipment and 16 + hours. the hard part is finding a low rpm motor with enough torque to turn a big pig and the weight of the spitrod.

oh, the pig was wired to the spitrod using steel picture hanging wire.

if you're gonna do it on a grate, you'll absolutely need a cover and i recommend having the beast's backbone sawed out and the head cut off, splitting the carcass in two. the cover is necessary to control the ambient temp much like an oven. i don't recommend trying to flip it.

rub the skin liberally in salt, then place skin sides up on the grate over coals at about 225 to 250 degrees for the duration.

and don't toss the head! rub it in salt and cook it alongside the body halves. lots of good meat around the snout and jaws and the nooks and crannies of the skull.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Tom mate I love the idea of Ozzys friends ingenuity, I have a weider bench press stand that I cant use because of my right hand(it hurting like hell thats why I am awake), I have a 1976 4.5 hp Briggs and Stratton Merry Tiller with a slow belt driven pulley, what do you think oh master

 

[Rocklobster]

it is AMAZING if you've never had porchetta, try it...it is a flavor sensation you will not forget).

I agree. Nothing like it on a crusty panini bun. The street vendors in Italy have a whole pig out on a large cutting board and slice it thinly for you as per order. Nohting goes better with a cold can of beer.

 

[tedtheewen]

Coolness!

Ok, so the pictures posted appeared to use an aluminum square tubing, which seems to be about 2-2.5 inches wide. This would work if I could figure out a way to have some kind of spike on there to keep Porky from sliding.

The commercial motors for rotisseries seem expensive! I wonder if I could rig something else?

I noticed that all rotisseries have the pig tied up, legs together. Would it make a big difference if I had Porky on a crucifix-like device for his legs and arms so that he was splayed out? If I rotate him, do I need to have his tied up?

I'm in farm country to finding wire to tie him up won't be a problem.

 

[buckytom]

ted, I wouldn't splay the beast out if possible. you want it to be as uniform in thickness as possible in order for it to cook evenly.

you can drill some holes through the tubing if that's what you're gonna use and feed the wire through them to keep it from slipping. or you can drill through a couple of 12 inch carriage bolts for stability bars to work with the wire.

bolas, the weider bench sounds great! i'm not sure if i'd sacrifice a tiller motor though. unless you can rig a long belt from it to the spit pulley.

btw, what did you do to your hand? was it what your mom warned you about???

 

[Zereh]

btw, what did you do to your hand? was it what your mom warned you about???

Can't be! or else he'd be having issues with his eyesight ...

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

ted, I wouldn't splay the beast out if possible. you want it to be as uniform in thickness as possible in order for it to cook evenly.

you can drill some holes through the tubing if that's what you're gonna use and feed the wire through them to keep it from slipping. or you can drill through a couple of 12 inch carriage bolts for stability bars to work with the wire.

bolas, the weider bench sounds great! i'm not sure if i'd sacrifice a tiller motor though. unless you can rig a long belt from it to the spit pulley.

btw, what did you do to your hand? was it what your mom warned you about???

Tom mate good advice re fixing the pig, I know you seem like me to enjoy tinkering with mechanical things. The Tiller is meant to run all types of attachments via its pulleys, the pulley guard is simple to take off, the B&S engine is a side valve deisel so it has very slow revs.
The right hand sorry to disappoint but it was breaks caused by fighting that have become arthritic

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Can't be! or else he'd be having issues with his eyesight ...

Thank you Ze as you know Wales is sheep country so the only draw back is sweaty feet caused by the wellington boots.