Pig Roast

My older son is planning on doing a pig roast in mid-August. He has found a butcher that can provide the animal. He has bookmarked endless web pages on the subject. However, he just called me and asked, "Mom, do any of your foodie friends have experience doing a pig roast? I'd like some personal hints on how to pull this off!" I told him that I'd ask you all. Any and all hints will be appreciated.

Here you go, Gayle - the definitive primer on roasting a whole pig - these people have done it several times and it includes all the steps, with pictures: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=26479

Thank you, dear Marsha.

My older son is planning on doing a pig roast in mid-August. He has found a butcher that can provide the animal. He has bookmarked endless web pages on the subject. However, he just called me and asked, "Mom, do any of your foodie friends have experience doing a pig roast? I'd like some personal hints on how to pull this off!" I told him that I'd ask you all. Any and all hints will be appreciated.

Gayle,

I'm attaching a link to the website for the LaCaja China cooker. I've been fascinated with these things since I saw them on TV a couple of years back. They will cook a pig to perfection in about 4 hours. They look very well made and clean up seems to be a snap. Best of all if you follow the directions they appear "dummy proof"...which might be the reason it holds so much appeal to me

http://www.lacajachina.com/category_s/1.htm

Here's a link to a YouTube video with Bobby Flay (or just go to You Tube and type in "LaCaja China"...lots of videos).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeK5VMUe4y0

See you this weekend ? or are you indisposed

Thank you, Steve. And here I am in Lexington with my son and family. Sad to say these ideas are not what my son has in mine. He and my daughter-in-law met in the army at the Defense Language Institute. While there their unit had a pig roast where a big deep pit was dug and lined with banana leaves. The pig was placed in pit, covered with banana leaves, covered with dirt. Can anyone out there help with the details of this method.

whew.....welcome to my world Gayle! We do this is Mexico and Deep South Texas ALL the time. You build a fire in a whole in the ground, to get the ground hot, then line it with the banana leaves, or with something, some people get fancy, as there are a lot of different processes. Then you place the meat in the ground, and cover with more leaves, or something, but it has to be covered. Then you can also build a fire on top, and some people slow cook beans or other things that will be eaten with the barbacoa, and especially for heating up the CORN TORTILLAS! ....oh man, i can smell the goodness right now.....

i love my culture .....

Thank you, Becky. I will share this with Jon. As I have with all items that have been posted.

Gayle,

We've done a lot of pigs/hogs with the underground method, not my favorite way because it basically steams the meat as opposed to hickory smoking it. But, here's how we did it.

Dig a hole the appropriate size, then start a fire in the pit, a big one. Oak or hickory are the best fuel. Burn wood until you have a nice bed of glowing coals, about 12" to 18" deep. Wrap the pig in heavy brown paper or banana leaves if you can find them and tie with wire. Hose down the paper wrapped package in water then wrap with a piece of fencing (not the painted kind of fencing) to hold the whole deal together. You can also use chicken wire. Lay a piece of corrugated metal on the coals followed by the pig. If you like additional protection on your pig, we have laid water soaked burlap over the pig, then the dirt.

Some people lay a piece of pipe of 4" vent piping vertically down to the coals prior to the dirt part so the fire can breath.

So, a foot or two for the fire, a foot for the pig and a foot for the top dirt layer. Check the pig with a thermometer after 4 hours (dig a little hole) to see how quickly he's progressing, then time accordingly.

When it's done you'll have a mess of fall off the bone steamed pork.

Good luck.

Thank you, David.