Pig Picking

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doctor phil

Newbie
Original poster
Nov 23, 2015
2
10
Charlotte, NC
Hey ya'll, New to this group and plan to cook a whole pig for new years eve party.  I'm looking to rent a spit with rotisserie. Pig will be about 200 pounds dressed out.

Mount Pleasant, NC area.  Any suggestions

Thanks

Dr. Phil
 
Welcome to the forums!

For a rotisserie pig, I'd suggest that you use some stainless wire to trap or wrap the legs in place.  Once it starts to really get cooked, they like to flop around and possibly fall off.

Also, make CERTAIN the pit you are using is squeaky clean from the last cook!  A whole pig generates a LOT of fat and grease when cooking.  A grease fire of that size is NOT fun at all.

If you have any folks that are squeamish, I'd order the pig "head off", or take it off prior to the cook.  Some people get freaked out when they see the head looking back at them each time it rolls around.

Inject the heck out of the pig prior to the cook.  I mean LOTS of injection.  That gets some flavor into the meat since you really can't rub it with the skin on.

Good luck and be careful.  
 
Thanks for the advise CrankyBuzzard.  I'm on the hunt for a rental grill with rotisserie that's big enough for this 180 lb headless pig. I've heard these can be cooked in a dug out pit but I'm not sure.

Do you have any preferences one way or another.

Thanks again for your feedback.
 
I've assisted with a whole pig cook on a rotisserie a few time, but it was at a friend's place.  He has a dedicated pit he built for cooking pigs, deer, and LARGE chunks of beef.  That's where I learned about the fire issues.  He cooked a pig one afternoon for his work party and then started another the next day for his home party.  Well, it wasn't cleaned out from piggy #1 and piggy #2 got really well done!

The only other pig pickings I've played at were done in a La Caja China.  That's more of an oven than a smoker though.

As for cooking in a dug pit, we do that a couple of times a year at the farm, but only with small goats.  Our pit is about 3 feet deep and 4feet by 4 feet at the top.  I couldn't get a 200 pound pig in it, but it would be good!
 
Hi Phil, read your post this morning but had to get off to work.

I do Hog Roast most weekends here in the UK using a Spit Machine and Tray Machine.

OK 200lbs (90Kg) is a big pig. On a spit I would work on 1 Hour per 10 Kilo of Pig, plus 1 Hour. In a tray add 50%
more.

I would go head off, three reasons, some people delicate and do not realise that their meat comes from animals, easier to secure to the spit and last quick cooking time.

Take the trotters off above the "knee" as Cranky has said the legs will drop as it cooks.

Please see photos below,


This s a cooking and serving suggestions,


If you need any more info, please either PM me or post up on here.

Steve
 
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