Roasting a whole pig can seem like a massive task, yet with a few tips and good technique, anyone can enjoy this delicious meal. Whether serving a large group of people or just making a family dinner with lots of leftovers to save, roasting a whole pig is a great way to spend an afternoon. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Talk with your local butcher about the availability of whole pigs. Oftentimes the butcher will have to special order the animal that has already been properly dressed and cleaned.
2. Realize that a 60 to 120-lb. pig will serve anywhere from 40 to 150 people. Smaller pigs are often sweeter and milder in flavor than more mature or heavier pigs. Ask your local butcher to butterfly the carcass for you for easier roasting.
3. Buy about 50 concrete cinder blocks and arrange them in a rectangle with the walls stacked two blocks high. It is recommended that you build your roaster over a concrete slab or over bare soil.
4. Line the entire concrete block cavity with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Ensure that all corners and edges are completely hole free and firmly pressed to the sides of the roaster. Fold the edges of the foil over the concrete blocks and add a third layer of concrete blocks.
5. Pile 25 lbs. of charcoal in the center of the roaster, soak with lighter fluid and light. Let the coals burn to a hot, white appearance, approximately 25 minutes.
6. Divide the coals into four groups, and push each group into separate corners of the roaster bottom.
7. Use two sections of chain-link fencing to make a pig holder. Place the pig down on one side of fencing and cover with the other.
8. Place the pig, belly side up, onto the top of the concrete blocks, and cover with a double layer of aluminum foil.
9. Let the pig roast. Smaller pigs (55 to 80 lbs.) will take 4 to 5 hours, and larger pigs (105 to 150 lbs.) will take approximately 6 to 9 hours to roast.
Tags: concrete blocks, aluminum foil, cover with, local butcher, over concrete, pigs will