# Whole Hog ???



## joshs (Sep 2, 2010)

Ok guys I have a whole hog to cook here are the details. It is a wild hog. I have ate them and had just as soon eat a wild hog as tame since it is free meat, Free is always better. I don't know what is weighs at the moment. It is frozen. It is small we have the whole things with head attached in the top freezer of the fridge. About how long at what temp per pound. Also the only thing that is bothering me is it was skinned not scraped. So with now skin on it what should I do just sprits it to keep it from drying out. Thinking about splitting it so it will lay flat on the smoker. YOU GUYS PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO I HAVE NO IDEA.


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## ifitsdeadsmokeit (Sep 2, 2010)

from my research for smoking a hog that i'm going to do at end of month...

cook butterfly style, make sure it lays flat, cut backbone with hacksaw if needed

some say 1 hr for every 10 lbs of hog with a steady heat of 275,

also seen to cook at high heat of 375 until starts to sweat (render), reduce temp to 275...1 hr for every 10 lbs, until shoulders hit 195, rest for 1 hr.

hams and back ribs cook faster than shldrs, foil rear of hog after a while

rub and inject as desired, use a lot.

leave drain open with bucket under it.  lots of fat produced

if your smoker doesnt have even heat, turn end to end halfway through smoke.

skin side up until shldr hits 165, flip and finish cooking

as for having no skin...i would drape bacon over it tokeep it moist.


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## pignit (Sep 2, 2010)

I can actually help you out with this. I've spent the last two years at an annual pig roast getting this down. Keep the smoker on 250 and take the internal to to around 180 so that you don't dry out the ribs and loins but the hams and butts will be tender enough to eat. I would rub the whole thing down with a good pork rub... on one that small I would wrap the loins and ribs with foil to slow them down. It's hard to get the hams and butts tender and still keep the ribs and loins from cookin to death. It can be done though. This year I'm going to raise the temp in the smoker and put a real crust on the pig before it comes out. This one is skinned also. O.... another thing... I did keep the fire on either end with no fire in the middle so the hams and butt would get more heat.


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## joshs (Sep 2, 2010)

Thanks guy, guess I should have mentioned that it is a reverse flow cooker.


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## meatinc (Sep 2, 2010)

Keep your spray bottles full of apple juice and be ready to spray as much as you can.  Wild hogs have very little fat content - when we shoot a wild boar the butcher has to add in domestic pig fat into the ground meat for patties or sausage.  With that low amount of natural fat, the pig may dry out quickly.  Cook as low as you can and extend your time.

I have seen a bunch of people cook with the skin down (cook on the pigs back) so any fat that is rendered is trapped between the meat and the skin so it doesn't drip out.


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## cowgirl (Sep 2, 2010)

Treat a skinned hog the same as a scraped one. It will not make that much difference. I inject the hams and shoulders, use oil on the pig and season with dry rub. Then mop or spritz every hour or so.

Keep your heat steady and don't try to rush it. 

Most important.. let the pig rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes after cooking to let the juices equalize.  Just like any other meat.

Good luck and have fun! :)


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## ak1 (Sep 2, 2010)

cowgirl said:


> Treat a skinned hog the same as a scraped one. It will not make that much difference. I inject the hams and shoulders, use oil on the pig and season with dry rub. Then mop or spritz every hour or so.
> 
> Keep your heat steady and don't try to rush it.
> 
> ...


Really? I would think that a skinned hog would tend to dry out more because it doesn't have the skin to protect the meat?


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## cowgirl (Sep 2, 2010)

AK1 said:


> Really? I would think that a skinned hog would tend to dry out more because it doesn't have the skin to protect the meat?


Depending on what you put on the outer layer of the hog (oil, mop, spritz, dry rubs)......... it will either be a dry "skin like" cover when finished just like any roasted meat....or it will be like a softer, smoked hunk of pork.  The meat under both the " skin on" pigs and  the outer layer of "skin off" pigs is usually tender and juicy.   Pork does benefit from leaving the skin on... but the depth of the dry outer layer on a skinned pig is minimal.  Especially if you go low and do not rush it.

One downside to a skinned pig, you miss out on those danged tasty crispy bites of roasted skin.


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## mballi3011 (Sep 2, 2010)

Believe me if Jeanie (cowgirl) says it then you can take it to the bank. If she posted a thread and said that she smoked a nike shoe I would have to open that thread cause some what this girl did to it. Cause she would make it taste good thou.


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## ak1 (Sep 2, 2010)

cowgirl said:


> Depending on what you put on the outer layer of the hog (oil, mop, spritz, dry rubs)......... it will either be a dry "skin like" cover when finished just like any roasted meat....or it will be like a softer, smoked hunk of pork.  The meat under both the " skin on" pigs and  the outer layer of "skin off" pigs is usually tender and juicy.   Pork does benefit from leaving the skin on... but the depth of the dry outer layer on a skinned pig is minimal.  Especially if you go low and do not rush it.
> 
> One downside to a skinned pig, you miss out on those danged tasty crispy bites of roasted skin.


Cool! Thanks Jeanie. I've never had skinless hog, so I was surprised when you said that there would be minimal difference. I've only had a whole pig, spit roasted.


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## ak1 (Sep 2, 2010)

mballi3011 said:


> Believe me if Jeanie (cowgirl) says it then you can take it to the bank. If she posted a thread and said that she smoked a nike shoe I would have to open that thread cause some what this girl did to it. Cause she would make it taste good thou.


I wholeheartedly agree with you!


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## rw willy (Sep 2, 2010)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/95541/suckling-pig-uds

Here is a link to my 20 pounder.  Hope it helps.  I don't think skin off will hurt.  My butts and other cuts are skinless.

Good luck


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## joshs (Sep 2, 2010)

Thanks guys. I was just scared it would dry out bad with no skin. That was the first wild hog or any hog I have skinned. But that thing had so much hair I didn't know what to do. The guy that was catcing them said that is how they do it. We don't have alot of access to wild hogs here in Kentucky. But they shure taste good.


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