Jennifer K
TVWBB Super Fan
I was invited to a pig roast party so we went out of town to see friends at this shebang over the weekend.
The pig was a 75 pounder, and the gentleman cooking it had built a pit in his yard using concrete blocks (three high)and aluminum foil. The pig rested on a rack of expanded metal. It was cooked in its skin and covered with a tent of foil.
Come serving time, after about 7-8 hours of cooking, the pig was carried in for eating. Tragically, large areas of this roast were uncooked and semi-cooked and because people had traveled, serving had to proceed. There ensued a chaotic hacking up of this porker, and triage was conducted in the microwave - with raw looking bits zapped and served. The pork was not very tasty and it was tough from microwaving. The fat hadn't rendered at all, really. To make matters worse, I ended up sick from it even though I tried to choose my piece carefully.
Now I've been enlisted to roast a whole hog for the annual street party, since my neighbors think I'm some kind of charcoal genius because I have a WSM. Having witnessed this whole hog fiasco, I've been thinking about what went wrong - trying to learn so I don't make the same mistakes.
I came up with a set of questions and respectfully request the whole hog gurus among us to weigh in:
1. Should the pig have been skinned first?
2. Obviously 7-8 hours wasn't long enough for this cook - what is the norm for a 75 pounder?
3. About 30 lbs of briquettes were used, and they looked to be burning okay. Was this enough?
4. I looked closely at the pit. The coals were on a sheet of expanded metal over an area of dug up grass. Then the concrete bricks were built up around it. Drip trays went in a line down the middle. Is there anything else that could have improved this pit?
5. The pig was cooked facing down - skin on top. Is this the best way?
6. Is it a good idea to inject a pig with brine for a whole hog cook? This one wasn't injected or rubbed.
The best thing I can say about this pig roast was that the sides were fantastic, the party beverages flowed freely, and the company was great. I felt terrible for the host, having his big moment ruined, when that pig was cut open and all the anticipation plummeted. Lots of people didn't eat it at all. (probably wise, but I couldn't be so rude as to not try the meat, after all his effort).
Because I've never cooked a whole pig before, and would rather not poison the neighborhood, all thoughts on this disaster and advice on how I should proceed will be greatly appreciated.
The pig was a 75 pounder, and the gentleman cooking it had built a pit in his yard using concrete blocks (three high)and aluminum foil. The pig rested on a rack of expanded metal. It was cooked in its skin and covered with a tent of foil.
Come serving time, after about 7-8 hours of cooking, the pig was carried in for eating. Tragically, large areas of this roast were uncooked and semi-cooked and because people had traveled, serving had to proceed. There ensued a chaotic hacking up of this porker, and triage was conducted in the microwave - with raw looking bits zapped and served. The pork was not very tasty and it was tough from microwaving. The fat hadn't rendered at all, really. To make matters worse, I ended up sick from it even though I tried to choose my piece carefully.
Now I've been enlisted to roast a whole hog for the annual street party, since my neighbors think I'm some kind of charcoal genius because I have a WSM. Having witnessed this whole hog fiasco, I've been thinking about what went wrong - trying to learn so I don't make the same mistakes.
I came up with a set of questions and respectfully request the whole hog gurus among us to weigh in:
1. Should the pig have been skinned first?
2. Obviously 7-8 hours wasn't long enough for this cook - what is the norm for a 75 pounder?
3. About 30 lbs of briquettes were used, and they looked to be burning okay. Was this enough?
4. I looked closely at the pit. The coals were on a sheet of expanded metal over an area of dug up grass. Then the concrete bricks were built up around it. Drip trays went in a line down the middle. Is there anything else that could have improved this pit?
5. The pig was cooked facing down - skin on top. Is this the best way?
6. Is it a good idea to inject a pig with brine for a whole hog cook? This one wasn't injected or rubbed.
The best thing I can say about this pig roast was that the sides were fantastic, the party beverages flowed freely, and the company was great. I felt terrible for the host, having his big moment ruined, when that pig was cut open and all the anticipation plummeted. Lots of people didn't eat it at all. (probably wise, but I couldn't be so rude as to not try the meat, after all his effort).
Because I've never cooked a whole pig before, and would rather not poison the neighborhood, all thoughts on this disaster and advice on how I should proceed will be greatly appreciated.
