Chad M.
TVWBB Super Fan
I traveled to down to beautiful Ozark, MO last weekend to see how country folk do a hog roast. Went from a live 130-lb. hog to delicious BBQ in just over 24 hours. I've spared some of the more graphic shots, but there are still pics that some people might not want to see. Fair warning. If you're not interested in knowing where your food comes from or how it's processed, look no further.
First off, it was a gorgeous day in the Ozark mountains:
Here's what was on the menu. I'm pretty sure it was the one in the water trough.
After it was dispatched and before gutting, the hog was dipped in a barrel of 160-degree water to facilitate hair removal.
The hair was then scraped and pulled off, and redipped as necessary to keep the hair coming off as easy as possible.
Once all the hair was removed (or as much as anyone could take, it took well over an hour), the hog was gutted, cleaned, and strung up in a tree overnight. It got down to 35 degrees so refrigeration and ice wasn't necessary, at least not as far as these boys were concerned.
In the morning it was splayed open on a tailgate:
And then put belly down over direct heat on a horizontal smoker (made from an old heating oil tank about 30 years ago). Only charcoal was used, no smoke wood at any time.
After almost an hour, the hog was flipped over and it was belly up the rest of the cook. The charcoal was spread to the outsides of the smoker, and replenished every couple of hours. No idea how hot it was inside the smoker, they just go by feeling the outside and adjust if necessary. This is after about 3 hours:
After about 3 hours in, the hog was heavily basted with some secret sauce concoction (tomato juice based, with melted butter, vinegar, cayenne and a few unknown ingredients) every couple of hours. They took great care not to puncture the skin anywhere so the meat ends up cooking in its own juice and the basting sauce. After about 11 hours, it turned into this:
...and was promptly devoured. Some ribs were pulled out, but most of it was just pulled by hand. I know the process doesn't look too pretty, and it certainly wouldn't win any competition awards for appearance, but it was absolutely delicious. This was probably the most succulent, tender, flavorful pork I've ever eaten. The pit master cut out a rib for me and the meat literally melted in my mouth. The taste was a perfect mixture of pork, heat, charcoal, and a mild sweetness. Didn't need to add a thing to it. About 60 or 70 people showed up with sides and dessert. Of course, no shortage of beer either. Great food, great people, a great day. A very interesting and rewarding effort.
Hope everyone enjoyed the post. Sorry if some of the pictures were offputting.
First off, it was a gorgeous day in the Ozark mountains:
Here's what was on the menu. I'm pretty sure it was the one in the water trough.
After it was dispatched and before gutting, the hog was dipped in a barrel of 160-degree water to facilitate hair removal.
The hair was then scraped and pulled off, and redipped as necessary to keep the hair coming off as easy as possible.
Once all the hair was removed (or as much as anyone could take, it took well over an hour), the hog was gutted, cleaned, and strung up in a tree overnight. It got down to 35 degrees so refrigeration and ice wasn't necessary, at least not as far as these boys were concerned.
In the morning it was splayed open on a tailgate:
And then put belly down over direct heat on a horizontal smoker (made from an old heating oil tank about 30 years ago). Only charcoal was used, no smoke wood at any time.
After almost an hour, the hog was flipped over and it was belly up the rest of the cook. The charcoal was spread to the outsides of the smoker, and replenished every couple of hours. No idea how hot it was inside the smoker, they just go by feeling the outside and adjust if necessary. This is after about 3 hours:
After about 3 hours in, the hog was heavily basted with some secret sauce concoction (tomato juice based, with melted butter, vinegar, cayenne and a few unknown ingredients) every couple of hours. They took great care not to puncture the skin anywhere so the meat ends up cooking in its own juice and the basting sauce. After about 11 hours, it turned into this:
...and was promptly devoured. Some ribs were pulled out, but most of it was just pulled by hand. I know the process doesn't look too pretty, and it certainly wouldn't win any competition awards for appearance, but it was absolutely delicious. This was probably the most succulent, tender, flavorful pork I've ever eaten. The pit master cut out a rib for me and the meat literally melted in my mouth. The taste was a perfect mixture of pork, heat, charcoal, and a mild sweetness. Didn't need to add a thing to it. About 60 or 70 people showed up with sides and dessert. Of course, no shortage of beer either. Great food, great people, a great day. A very interesting and rewarding effort.
Hope everyone enjoyed the post. Sorry if some of the pictures were offputting.
