<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jim Minion:
[qb]Some of the oldest forms of BBQ are digging a pit, line with rocks, build a fire and burn down to coals. The pig would be wrapped in fresh banana leavesf or other large leaves and the placed in the pit. That created a moist enviroment for the pig to be cooked. A lot of the pit cookery in the SE
they will place wet burlap over the pig and then cover with dirt, again the moist enviroment.[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't have much experience cooking whole pigs /infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif , but I have been roasting whoe turkeys over fire since way back when I still had hair. Turkey's are obviously roasted at somewhat higher temperatures than bar-b-quing a pork butt, but the indirect exposure to fire and smoke is all the same.
After about 25 years, I finally stumbled on a technique that is basically the same as the wet burlap swaddled swine. I take a big piece of chesecloth, four or five layers thick and soak it in a mixture of half butter, half boiling water. I wrap the turkey in the cheescloth and throw it on the grate.
For the first half hour or so, this is indeed providing a moist enviroment. But, the real reason for the water is to keep the cheesecloth from burning. An hour into the cooking, the moisture is gone and the edges of the cheesecloth are singed. However, as the fat renders from the turkey, the cheesecloth is totally saturated with grease. So, rather than a moist environment, what you have is the bird being constantly basted with fat. It also protect the skin from the "black stuff" in the smoke. It produces a perfect dark golden crispy crust.
I think this is the same mechanism that's happening on a larger scale with the wet burlap.
The other thing I've noticed is that less smoke wood is better than more smoke wood. I used to add chips or chunks all through the cooking process, but lately I've decided that gives a decidedly bitter overpowering flavor to the turkey. Recently, I've been using a little wood at the start, but not replenishing it as I go -- cooking with just charcoal. This leads me to believe that less is more when it comes to burning raw wood and that charcoal or embers, by themselves, give you all the "smokey" flavor you need, particularly over the course of many hours.
BTW, not to worry about me closing the top vent of a Weber. The only time I've done that in 25 years is when I've got the platter of meat in one hand and I'm headed for the door to go eat!