Pig is done
This post is a little long; sorry; skip it if you are in a hurry.
First let me say this was the very best pork I have ever eaten. First rate...top shelf....and easy.
I picked up the pig late Friday PM from the farmer who did a very good and clean butcher job. I was surprised at it's size. A 70# dressed piggy is not that large. Easy to handle and carry.
The pig fit with room to spare in the Lang 60....head on, in racing posture. Mine could have been butterflied and fit.
I set up everything in the cooker; two temp probes in the shoulders and one in the butt (hiner), plus the pit probe through a small tater sitting on the back (waist). Rain was predicted so I had to bag up electrical connections, monitor electronics and a No. 10 can over each of the two Guru fans.
It was in the mid 30*s, so the pig could sit in the cooker until light-off time. All set....went to bed.
I woke up at 2:30 AM and its pouring rain, big time. I took a wad of newspaper out with me and shoved it in the fire box on top of the firewood and small pile of charcoal. I light the paper and then light my weed burner from the flaming paper. In 5 minutes the fire is going good enough to let the Guru take over and I can get my groggy wet butt back in the house. Of course the pouring rain stopped as I entered the house.
The official start time was 3:15 am as the pit hit 240*.
I didn't use a rub or any wet down on the pig. I had mentioned using Italian dressing, but never got it out.
At 8am I dropped the pit temp to 210* as the meat hit 150*. We wanted to eat at mid afternoon and this baby was cooking fast.
At 1pm I dropped the pit temp to 200* as the meat also hit 200*.
The guru held the temps on the mark during the whole cook.
At 3pm I shut her down.
The skin was like a thick plastic with an inch gap between it and the meat.
Only a couple of inches of fat drained into a small drip bucket. That was a surprise.
The meat was SUPER moist and very, very tender from end to end. The skin must seal the moisture in. Using Bear Claws, the meat fell away from the bones. Joints fell apart. The whole deal was picked and panned in 10 minutes.
I'm doing another one (possibly larger) in 2 weeks at a hunting camp. I hope it comes close to this one in results.
If you have a pit large enough, you owe it to yourself to try this. It's as easy as falling off a log.
My thinking is the pig stayed more moist because of the protectiveness of the racing type position, rather than split and flattened. Also, the long time at temp rendered this meat just right. They are 2 two things to keep in mind.
Wasn't much to shoot pics of. Start-out shots and finished shots. They look the same, just different color.
Man, I am pleased with this cook.
http://usera.imagecave.com/Rag/xmas/
If you read this far, thanks. If not, I don't blame you for bailing out as it is long.