Whole Hog in a WSM?

[Jeff Ransom]

My favorite barbecue is whole hog, but I don't have the room to setup the full brick pit, so I've been toying with the idea of hacking it in my 18.5" WSM. I wont be able to get the full mixture of cuts, but I think that I can achieve similar results with a pork butt, ham, and breast section (skin, belly and spare ribs).

The only issue is getting the temperatures right and since my lower rack runs slightly cooler than my upper rack, i was going to start the butt and ham on the top rack before wrapping and moving it down to the bottom to make room for the breast section.

I think the mixture of flavors from the ham, the fattiness (and cracklin) from the belly section and the meaty butt will achieve similar results.

Has anyone ever tried this before? Any tips before I try or suggested tweaks to the method?

 

[Chris Allingham]

I've never heard of anyone cooking different pork cuts and mixing together the results to approximate whole hog. That's kind of ingenious. Or you might consider a suckling pig.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Mixed cuts do not a “whole hog make” but, a suckling pig might be the PERFECT option! I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. I love roasting whole hogs!

 

[Dwain Pannell]

I've never heard of anyone cooking different pork cuts and mixing together the results to approximate whole hog. That's kind of ingenious. Or you might consider a suckling pig.

This is what I was thinking

 

[Jeff Ransom]

Thank you all! I will let you all know how it goes. I have to talk to the butcher first and round up enough friends to eat it all!

 

[Steve Cleveland]

I've cooked a suckling pig before and they are delicious, just like a full scale hog only smaller.

I would do it again if may next door neighbor still raised hogs, I might have to find another pig farmer.