Leave the pig intact when smoking the meat.
Nothing brings friends and family members together like meat smoked over the grill. Yet instead of barbecuing slices of meat at your next gathering, try smoking an entire pig. You can cook your own 70-lb. pig at home as long as you have a smoker large enough to fit the animal. The process takes about 11 hours, but when it's finished, the pig will provide enough meat to serve 70 people. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Buy, rent or borrow a smoker big enough to fit and cook your 70-lb. pig. Measure your hog and the cooker to ensure the animal will fit inside.
2. Prepare the pig before it's cooked. The butcher should have scraped the animal to remove hair and the first layer of skin. Ensure the pig still has its skin, head and ears attached. Use a knife to cut the pig's tendons at each ankle to prevent the feet from curling during the smoking process. Rub the animal from head to rump with a barbecue sauce, rub or any seasonings you desire.
3. Get the smoker ready for the pig by heating 10 lbs. of charcoal in it. Fill its water pans with water. Put down the lid and heat it to about 250 degrees.
4. Put the pig belly down on the grill with its legs spread out flat. If the pig won't lie flat, take it out and dislocate its hips by pulling on the ankles and pressing down firmly on its pelvis. Cover the animal's ears and tail with aluminum foil so they don't burn while cooking.
5. Divide the coals evenly under the pig and grill using a shovel. Add a handful of wood chips into the mix with each shovel's-worth of charcoal. Place an extra 3/4- to 1-lb. of charcoal under the pig's shoulders, which take the longest to cook.
6. Keep the smoker between 200 and 250 degrees. Check the temperature every 40 minutes to ensure it's not hotter than 250 degrees. Adjust the heat by adding more charcoal and opening or closing the smoker's vents. Add another handful of wood chips with each added shovel of charcoal. This will give the meat a smokey flavor. Also, check the water trays every few hours to ensure they still have water. If they're empty, add more water.
7. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pig's shoulder. The temperature in the meat should reach 180 degrees before it's ready to take out of the smoker and eat.
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