Trying to cook a whole hog and was wondering if anybody had ever done this before and had any advice on how to not screw it up? Any recipes or seasoning suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've never even attempted this before so any tips help. Thanks all!
Cooking a whole hog
- Thread starter siebo454
- Start date
I've got three grills/smokers, and use 'em all, but for the life of me I never gad the urge to do the whole pig. Good luck and come back and let us know how it went please.
BBQ with Franklin - PBS episode discussing this topic.
http://video.klru.tv/video/2365503928/
http://video.klru.tv/video/2365503928/
I have wanted to do this for a party. I never did but I have looked into it and was thinking of trying. With that said, I think that Hy Vee does it.
Haha I will indeed. This is kind of taking an item off the bucket list for my dad. Guy called my dad yesterday and told him he wanted a whole hog for easter, but my dad had to make it. Needless to say neither of us have even thought about doing a whole hog haha.
This is gonna sound crazy....
I have cooked a couple dozen whole hogs and even a handful of cows using only hot rocks and banana leaves. Start a couple of Bon fires. When they get going pretty good pile dozens of river rocks on the fire basically smothering it. While those heat up, dig a two foot hole in the ground a little bigger than the animal. Then have a couple of beers. Scoop up the red hot rocks and place a layer the entirety of your pit. Then layer banana leaves about 8 or ten thick on top of the rocks. Add the pig. More banana leaves, another layer of rocks, and then a final layer of leaves sealing in all the heat. Have a few more beers. Open your creation 8-10 hours later! The method of the Solomon Islanders! We ate pretty damn well! The bush oven called a motu... Good mouth watering memories!
I have cooked a couple dozen whole hogs and even a handful of cows using only hot rocks and banana leaves. Start a couple of Bon fires. When they get going pretty good pile dozens of river rocks on the fire basically smothering it. While those heat up, dig a two foot hole in the ground a little bigger than the animal. Then have a couple of beers. Scoop up the red hot rocks and place a layer the entirety of your pit. Then layer banana leaves about 8 or ten thick on top of the rocks. Add the pig. More banana leaves, another layer of rocks, and then a final layer of leaves sealing in all the heat. Have a few more beers. Open your creation 8-10 hours later! The method of the Solomon Islanders! We ate pretty damn well! The bush oven called a motu... Good mouth watering memories!
Last edited:
Whole hog is way easier than it sounds. I like to inject with the Chris Lilly pork injection to get some salt and flavor into it. It helps to stuff a couple of butts or some sausage in the cavity to protect the loin. Otherwise, it will overcook before the hams are done. Oil and salt the skin, start out around 300 and let it gradually drop down to 250 or 225 depending on how your timing is going. Foil the ears at the beginning of the cook and put a wad of foil in the mouth to hold it open and replace with an apple before serving. Once the skin has the color you want, foil the entire hog. Cook to about 180 in the hams.
Some of the party rental placed have hog cookers for rent. You could build a cinder block pit, but renting the cooking is cheaper and easier.
Some of the party rental placed have hog cookers for rent. You could build a cinder block pit, but renting the cooking is cheaper and easier.
Do you season the inside of the hog at all? And when you cook it do you put it belly up or belly down, I have seen it both ways.
Every picture I find is of a rather small hog... I was picturing a full grown hog like my brother used to raise and was thinking it would be way too big to cook whole!
Definitely a lot of people that cook whole hogs from the looks of the many results/recipes on Google!
A friend of mine did this about 2 years ago. They used what is called either a Chinese roasting box or La Caja China. I'm not sure where the name came from as it was designed by a Cuban American from my research. This method does not give a smoked taste, but he meat was juicy and flavorful.
I normally use some rub in the cavity, but it really doesn't make much difference. There is a lot of pork and you are not going to hit much with the rub. I like belly down, just for appearance. You can argue that belly up is a better technique, but it is ugly. I did help cook one standing, which is really a neat presentation, but it requires a stand and a cooker tall enough to do it.
We built a makeshift smoker out of a 55 gallon drum And scrap iron. We roast a pig each summer up in the mountains during an annual week long fishing trip and drunk fest.
Looks a little like this. https://goo.gl/images/dYLRDG
Looks a little like this. https://goo.gl/images/dYLRDG
Last edited:
Sounds like an excellent method. Only thing I would say is choose your rocks carefully. Soft rocks will split or pop if they have moisture trapped inside and you heat them up.
I have done it. I just put it in a large barbecue unit with a lid over charcoal. Slow cook around 250. Put it skin side down on the grill. I butcher so it is butterflied and the whole pig is layer out
How big are the hogs and about how long do you have to cook them at 250? Hog is probably 90 pounds give or take. Thanks.
If you didn't gut him (or her) no internal seasoning is necessary. The corn and soybean meal will do just fine.
A
anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi
Guest
Where do you get banana leafs? Could I use corn husks? HahaThis is gonna sound crazy....
I have cooked a couple dozen whole hogs and even a handful of cows using only hot rocks and banana leaves. Start a couple of Bon fires. When they get going pretty good pile dozens of river rocks on the fire basically smothering it. While those heat up, dig a two foot hole in the ground a little bigger than the animal. Then have a couple of beers. Scoop up the red hot rocks and place a layer the entirety of your pit. Then layer banana leaves about 8 or ten thick on top of the rocks. Add the pig. More banana leaves, another layer of rocks, and then a final layer of leaves sealing in all the heat. Have a few more beers. Open your creation 8-10 hours later! The method of the Solomon Islanders! We ate pretty damn well! The bush oven called a motu... Good mouth watering memories!
i think someone needs to do this for HuskerOnline and charge $15 a head and all proceeds (after food cost) go to the Husker Jack foundation. The foundation named after the kid who brain cancer who ran for the td in the spring game several years ago. Good PR for HuskerOnline and a good cause. Plus I love me PORK !!
If this one turns out I would gladly volunteer my time to cook it haha.
My hog was around 200 pounds. It took around 12 hours. So your hog would be about half that time. The key is to keep it around 250 so it slow cooks in its own fat. The skin cracklings are delicious. I add no seasonings at all.
I am lucky in that I have a friend who has a huge smoker/cooker with a lid and a temp gauge in the lid. Get the coals glowing and get the temp around 250. Then push the coals to either end of the cooker so you are cooking over indirect heat. I regulated the temp after that by raising the lid to release heat every half hour or so. If it is getting too hot too fast then remove some of the coals. This method does require someone to be near the cooker at all times to monitor the temp. But man is it worth it!!!
Well everyone, after about 14 hours of smoking and about an hour and a half of sleep, i'm happy to report the hog turned out wonderful. Used an offset wood smoker and really could not be happier how it turned out. Very moist and most importantly all thoroughly cooked haha. Thank you all for the help!
Similar threads
