Pig roast methodology?

[DNelson]

For those of you that have done pig roasts in the past - how do you do it?



1) Spit and regular charcoal;

2) Spit and hardwood;

3) In the ground under about 5 feet of earth;

4) Other



We did one the other day where the pig (175#) and 10 20# turkeys spent 24 hours under ground with a bunch of burning hardwood - the health inspector was AMAZED!!! This method is the new recommended way to do a pig roast for our county! E-mail me for the recipe!



Don

 

[gitchesum]

Other



We call it a Coonass MIcrowave.

Pretty simple actually, it's a large insulated box, about 5ft. long, 4ft. tall and 3ft. wide. The top of the box has a tray that holds the charcoal. The pig sits inside the box while the heat of the coals from the tray above it heat and cooks the pig. Taste great!!, not sure about the less filling part though.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Roasted pig

I was fortunate to be able to attend a pig roast at Marksville a few years ago. The host also used the "Coonass Microwave". It was a wooden box with a sheet metal cover placed in a hole in the ground, the fire was on top of the box, wood fire. Turned out great. bg

 

[Okie-Go]

Yum yum, sounds good. I wonder if they put an apple in the pig's mouth while cooking.

 

[jwdeeming]

First time was wrapped in foil and chicken wire, buried in a pit with charcoal on top and bottom. Cooked a 70 pound pig for 12 hours. It was done and tasted ok, but I was disappointed at the lack of smoke or grill flavor. Not sure if adding a certain spice would have helped, but was afraid to have bbq sauce cook that long.



My next attempt will definitely be over wood or charcoal in a big barrel or smoker.



If you want more bbq information than you can possibly digest (sorry, that was 2/3 of a pun - PU) check out

http://www.barbecuen.com



JimD

 

[rich m]

....mmmmm, lecho'n,mmmmm.....

First, get a plane ticket to the Philippines. (bring about $500 US)

Next, make your way out into the countryside, where, just like here, farmers are farmers, and just like here, are hospitable to a traveler who behaves in a civil manner.

Find one or two that have about a 200 lb hog. (they're a very common piece of livestock)



Negotiate a deal for "lechon" (roast pig)

Invite the whole Barangay (smallest unit of Philippine government, sometimes only comprising a few city blocks).

The guys will start early in the morning, some gathering buko (coconut tree) wood, and some slaughtering and cleaning the hog.



When he's cleaned (watching is not for the squeamish remember this is a nearly 3rd world country) they'll skewer him from stern to stem with a 4"diameter bamboo spit. Each end will be supported on a Y stick, and the square end will have a smaller piece of bamboo poked thru at 90* angles to make a "T" handle.



The buko coals are under the pig. the 2 guys in charge spend the next 5-6 hours taking turns turning the pig or water-basting the skin.

In the meantime, the "womenfolk" cook all the other fiesta food, some of the other guys go back and forth, supplying an endless river of San Miguel beer and Royal orange soda.

The businesses nearly all close, everybody comes and goes, and you get to be a local hero for a day, meeting the reps from the Barangay government and you'll swear up and down til your dying day that that was the best $500 you ever spent!



The preferred sauce, available here in the States, BTW, is called "Mang Tomas' Sauce". Dip the pork chunks in it, but don't read the ingredient list.



It's even better when the Barangay is your wife's family's "home town" and everybody there is a cousin of varying distance. Imagine Mayberry with palm trees and an ocean!

 

[wrward]

richm

along with an abundance of drool, you brought tears to my old eyes from the rememberence of the greatest culinary feast I ever partook of.

There is no finer way to treat a hog.