How to cook a whole pig
Source of Recipe
Marla
How to cook a whole pig
If you are planning a really big celebration, you may be interested
in knowing how to cook a whole pig, Georgia style. This method was
developed by Bennett Brown of LowCountry Barbecue, Inc. He recommends
that you recruit one to two co-cooks to assist in this 16 hour
barbecuing ritual.
The first point to consider is the pig itself. The ideal porker is
one which has been state inspected with a dressed (gutted, without
head and feet) weight of 100-120 lbs. It should be butterflied (split
down the belly) so that the pig will lay flat on the grill. Be sure
not to cut the pig in two or puncture the skin of the back when
butterflying the pig. Trim away any excess fat that lines the inside
cavity near the ribs, then liberally salt the inside of the pig.
The second point to consider is what type of pit to use in barbecuing
your pig. An easy and inexpensive pit to build is one made from
cinder blocks. The pit should be built so that the inside dimensions
are approximately 6 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Fabricate
two cooking racks out of metal that will be strong enough to support
the pig's weight while cooking and when turning. The cover for the
pit can be a large piece of heavy duty cardboard which can be found
at furniture stores that sell bedding. You will also need enough sand
to provide for a 2 inch layer on the ground inside the pit. This sand
will help to absorb the liquid grease that is produced from a cooking
pig and will also help to retain the heat from your coals.
The third area to cover is the actual cooking process. You will need
about 1/3 of a cord of seasoned hardwood such as pecan, hickory or
oak which will produce the coals needed for cooking. Position your
fire fairly close to your pit so that it will be convenient to
transfer coals from the fire and into the pit. Light your fire 1 hour
before the desired start time so that you will have a good surplus of
coals to preheat the pit and begin the cooking process. Place the pig
on the grill rib side down. Arrange the coals around the outside
perimeter of the two shoulders and hams. You can spread a small
amount of charcoal directly under the pig's midsection during the
first two hours of the cooking process but after that keep the coals
around the perimeters of the hams and shoulders. Once the pigs really
start to "cook" they will render or drip grease and, as any good cook
knows, liquid grease and live charcoal spell fire. You should plan on
stoking the pit about every 45 minutes. It is important to keep a
steady temperature of 250-300 degrees F. in the pit at all times. It
is a good idea to have a basic oven thermometer on hand to let you
know your cooking temperature as well as a meat thermometer to gauge
your cooking progress. Be sure to visually monitor your cooking
progress every once in a while by looking at the underside of the
pig, making sure you're not burning or cooking it too fast.
After about 10-12 hours your pig should be ready to turn. Place your
second cooking rack on top of the pig (sandwiching pig between both
racks) and with a co-cook carefully flip pig over. Once turned, the
pig needs constant attention because this is when the "back fat" of a
pig will begin to liquefy and accumulate in the middle rib area. In
order to ladle out this grease, you can separate the ribs about
midway in the rack which gives you the space needed to get a ladle or
spoon in the "puddles" of grease. It is important to render out as
much of this grease as possible which will help to produce a lean
product.
During the last 3-4 hours, baste the pig with a barbecue sauce,
preferably a thin vinegar base sauce. A thin sauce will not "burn" on
the meat as easily as a tomato or mustard base sauce. When most of
the back fat has been rendered out of the pig which takes 4-6 hours,
the pig should be fully cooked. Pork is considered cooked when the
internal temperature of the meat at its thickest point (i.e.: hams)
is 170 degrees F. I recommend you barbecue your pig until the
internal temperature reaches 190-200 degrees F. It is at this
temperature that you are able, with your co-cooks and friends, to
pick the pig. The meat will fall off the bone with very little effort
allowing you to "pull" the pork.
I prefer the process of "pulling" the meat rather than slicing or
chopping the product because it allows you the ability to pick out
and discard the undesirable parts of pork (i.e.: the fat, skin and
gristle). A dressed pig with a raw weight of 100 lbs. when barbecued
and pulled properly should yield approximately 25 lbs. (100-4 oz.
servings) of great barbecue.
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