How did they all turn out? I'd love to roast a whole hog but don't even know where to start...
-pg
I would say my third one was easily the best... but for starters is finding a local butcher that will order one for you. Usually they come in frozen and it takes about a week to thaw out..let them thaw it for you at the butcher shop.
Actually before calling the shop try and figure out how much space you have on your cooker...so you know what size to order.
Next step is buying a cooler large enough to hold it and keep it cold...assuming you don't cook it right after bringing it home. The first one I brined for two days at my house in the cooler.
You will also need to decided a few things do you want to stuff the pig with whole chicken and sausage and sew him back up so you protect the loins in the cooking process or do you want to cut him flat and roast/smoke it. Ive done it both ways I personally like cutting him flat and smoking it.
So you will need a hatchet or electric buthcher knife to cut through the breast bone to open him open..and I also cut off the hooves around I guess like a wrist joint.
Ok this post is getting lengthy so let me skip all the ifs and buts and just tell you how I did the third pig which I liked the most.
Once I got him home and opened up I got a piece of wood from the hardware store to put him on in the kitchen. I lined it with foil to keep things clean. I rinsed him off any excess blood put an apple in his mouth and all of that jazz. (its important to note that you don't want the skin wet...or seasoned on the outside leave that alone) I a thin layer of mustard on the inside of this meat so that my dry rub would stick and put him in my cooler over night. I then smoked him at 225 keeping the coals nice and even so I didn't get any hot spots until he was done. Take him off by transferring the cooking rack to the wood piece I bought changing the foil wrap again to keep things clean. Then once cooled I pulled him off the rack straight onto the wood and shredded his ass up and we all ate. I usually buy around 30-35lbs and it feeds around 15 people pretty easy. (adults)
Thats a quick overview but if you have specific questions let me know. It was def on my bucket list to cook a whole pig...now its become an annual event b/c I enjoyed it so much. The wow factor of your guests is worth every cent and it does cost a few cents LOL.
