Hello all,
I have been voluntold to help roast or smoke a pig a friend is having at her house in Dundin. Apparently there will be an entire day devoted to bacon and pork.
Needless to say, Biggest thing I have ever roasted or smoked is a store bought 25lb Turkey.
This pig will also be store bought, and roasted, but I likley dont have a grill big enough to roast this sucker.
Can someone point me to a resource where I can rent or borrow a roaster / smoker big enough to cook a 100-150lb piggy?
Also any tips on roasting a whole critter this big would be helpful, if not greatly needed 🙂
Thanks in advance.
G
:bbq
I would dig a hole in her yard and cook it in the ground.
OK.....here we go.....
If you want to use some type of cooker.....a lot of rental places rent them out if you cant find one to borrow.....or you can build a temporary one with expanded metal and blocks and cook right over the ground....build a fire on each end (you dont cook over the fire, you smoke-cook) the meat and enclose with sheet metal...just by leaning it around the pig and one on top....I have seen this done many many times and works great....during the last hour or so you move the fire under the pig to crisp it up....takes all day....and I mean all day starting in the wee hours..maybe 2am to have ready by 5 or 6pm......you keep a small fire going on the side to keep enough coal or oak going and keep stoking the small fires on the ends. It helps if you have the pig wired to a grate to be able to flip it for the final cooking over the fire.
If you can find a smoke cooker....you still cook indirectly (not over the fire) and keep the temp at 225....will still take a long time for a full pig say 100 lbs....you can tell when it starts getting done when bones pull out....cook over oak if available, regulate air and wood to maintain 225 deg...
I never cook a whole hog over direct fire.....so the cooker needs to be able to do this.
I use Mojo for marinade and marinate in a clean cooler, in ice and mojo, sour oranges, and onions for at least 24 hours...and then keep basting with mojo/sour oranges every hour or so while cooking. It turns out friggin delicious.
If you dont have your own hog of the right size you can order pigs at Cacciatores in Tampa and at another place on Howard and Main in West Tampa...cant remember the name....you can order them whatever size within 10 lbs or so and they will split them, cut the head and feet off, get em ready for cooking....they need a few days to get them so let them know well ahead of time.
PM me if you need more info....have done this quite a few times....its a little work, lots of fun, great eating....I am sure others here have other ways too....but make sure you start early enough cuz it takes a while to cook a whole pig slow to keep it tender and juicy....but more time to drink beer.....
Wow Dave now I'm starving thanks that sounds delicious
Yeah....they turn out pretty good....make yourself sick eating too much.....I like to do at least one a year in the spring or fall.....when its cool enough to hang out around the smoker and sip a little brown water....
