whole-pig-msg – 4/18/05
Info. on roasting a whole pig. Various experiences.
NOTE: See also the files: Whole-Pig-Fst-art, cook-ovr-fire-msg, roast-pork-msg, butchering-msg, pig-to-sausag-art, livestock-msg.
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Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 10:01:48 +1000 (EST)
From: Charles McCathieNevile <charlesn at sunrise.srl.rmit.edu.au>
Subject: SC - Whole pigs...
A bit of red wine is good, and fill the thing with halved apples (Or ducks
and apples, depending on how hungry you are.)
Our pig took about 10 hours, and was a couple of feet above the fire. I
would use charcoal (we used wood), slash the skin and rub it with salt
and wine and herbs, as well as stick them inside with the fruit.
The thing to watch is fat dripping onto the fire, which can flare up and
set fire to your pig - in about 3 minutes you will have half as much pig :(
(If it can happen to a goat it can happen to a pig...
Charles Ragnar
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 21:46:01 EDT
From: LrdRas <LrdRas at aol.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Request: Recipe for whole pig?
themorrigan at softhome.net writes:
<< I too need a this recipie, the feastocrats for our next big event are
planning on doing one but in a hog roaster. I promised to try to track down a recipie.
Morganna >>
The many times that I have done pig, we started it about midnight the night
before for a 1 or 2 o'clock in the afternoon finish time. . The pig roaster
takes about 5 bags of charcoal. The only thing that I have ever used for a
baste is beer.
BTW, congradulations on getting chosen for this job. In my neck of the woods
pig roasting is usually reserved for the men. :-) You also might want to
prepare yourself for the "taste" testing and critique you will recieve from
"experienced" pig people. :-)
Ras
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 10:42:46 -0400
From: "LHG, JRG" <liontamr at ptd.net>
Subject: SC - Roasted Animals
Here is a recipe from about 1660 (I know, OOP), from The Complete Cook by
Rebecca price for roasted pig from Williamsburg VA (yes, I did indulge in a
few pamphlets, which I am still reading).
To Roast A Pig: A Very Good Why
After your pigg is scalded drye the inside with a cloth, then spitt it and
put into the Belly thereof a handful of sage, a piece of butter, and a
crust of bread, then sew it up and lay it to the fire, and flower it very
thicke all over, and as it drops off flower it again, and so roast it with
a quick fire till it be almost enough and the coat thereof crisp, then with
a drye cloath wuipe all the flower clean off, and when it is brown and
crisp send it to the table with sawce made of the gravie that runs from it
in the roasting, butter being melted therein with some chopped sage, and
the brains of the pig.
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:21:31 EDTFrom: SigridPW at aol.comSubject: SC - pig roast I've done a few of these in my time... so here goes!In general terms, you spit the pig, hang him over hot coals (approximately 1/2hour per pound), turn a quarter turn every 15 minutes until done. Now thereare a few tricks....1) Most importantly, bank the coals under the butt end and the shoulder.There's not much meat in the middle of Miss Piggy, but the front and back aremeaty and need the heat.2) Hot coals are the right temperature when you can't leave your hand betweenthe fire and the meat for but a couple seconds.3) If you want to bring people from miles aroung throw your vegetabletrimmings on the coals.... mmmmm!4) poke holes in the skin. This serves two functions. One, it keeps the fatmelting off, which makes your meat nice and moist without being greasy, and,two, it will take care of that basting dilemma.... your piggy is virtuallyself-basting!5) As the pig cooks, the skin will draw up (shrink). where it is closest tobone, it will crack as the bone will be REALLY hot. This is where hole-pokingis very important. The second time I did one of these up (a 125 lb. guy!), Ihad someone else turning the pig as I attended to some side dishes. "Aquarter turn every quarter hour". Well, 45 min. or so later, I came back, andMister Pig was still on his side as I had left him. Cooking so long on oneside had caused the perforations to cook closed, unbeknownst to me, but theskin had split all down said piggy's back.... I quickly turned the pig aqurter turn so his feet were up in the air, and all the fat that had meltedwhile Mister Pig was on his side poured down onto the charcoal in a sheet. Itwas spectacular! I was told the flames were about eight feet in the air!Thankfully grease fires are short lived. :o)6) Just remember that cooking a pig in his skin is like cooking him wrapped infoil. You can do almost anything to the outside, and the inside will still bewonderful. The head is a little tricky. If the ears, etc. start to look toodone, wrap them in foil. As the feet cook the tendons will shorten and theforelegs will curl up. You can wrap these in foil, too since they have atendency to burn being so much closer to the fire. And PLEASE us charcoal. Iknow of one group that tried to do this only they used live coals from a woodfire in a single layer. Not much heat there.A couple questions:How big a pig are you cooking?What kind of spit set-up do you have?How much help do you have?Are you responsible for more than the pig for this meal?I've done 5 or 6 of these now, and pretty much have the bugs worked out. If Ican offer any further assistence, please allow me to. It would be my pleasureSigrid Pigwoman
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 21:43:02 -0500From: "Boogie" <boogie at softdisk.com>Subject: Re: SC - pig roast
> 1) Most importantly, bank the coals under the butt end and the shoulder.> There's not much meat in the middle of Miss Piggy, but the front and back are> meaty and need the heat.>> 2) Hot coals are the right temperature when you can't leave your hand between> the fire and the meat for but a couple seconds.You may want to brush the skin with a mixture of honey and beer or amixture of your choosing. This will give a nice glaze as well as flavor tothe skin.The head will take longer to cook but you have to be careful not to burnoff the ears and nose.If the pig is small enough you may want to split the entire pig includingthe head using chicken wire to spread it open like a butterfly while it ison the spit.The info on the coals was right on the money.
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:39:42 -0400From: Phil & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>Subject: Re: SC - FORGIVE METeresa A. D'Agostino wrote:> Tomorrow we are having "porchetta" pig roasted over a spit. Can anyone> please tell me how to prepare this so that the skin is nice and> CRUNCHY? It is for a 150 person office BBQ.A whole pig normally needn't be basted much. You might try starting the pigclose to the heat source, and move it away to finish cooking. The idea is notto get it as brown and crunchy as you want it before it is done, but just togive it a slight head start. Salting the skin the night before could help too,by drawing some moisture out of the skin.The guys in Chinatown solve this problem by repeated bastings with oil atdeep-frying temperatures (before the pig is put on to roast!). Basting over afire or hot coals is, of course, exceedingly dangerous!Adamantius
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 14:21:34 -0500
From: "Boogie" <boogie at softdisk.com>
Subject: Re: SC - More Pig Questions
> Hi all; kat here, with some more questions about that pig we're
spit-roasting this coming November. I appreciate any and all input from
our on-list pig roasting experts!
>
> Query: We are expecting a full-grown wild boar, whose weight we will not
know till it's time to start cooking. We are expecting to have to cook it
for approx. 24 hours, give or take. How much charcoal should I buy? :-)
>
> Query: Will a gallon of marinade be enough, or should we make two? We
are planning to "baste" the critter during cooking with spray bottles (yes
we are buying new, food-grade bottles).
>
> Query: My husband plans to remove the head and bake it separately, so it
does not overcook or fall apart over the fire. What is the standard baking
time per pound for pig's head?
>
> - kat
kat . boogie here . first a wild boar will cook alot different then a pig.
it's game and the meat is stronger it needs to cook slower ,24hrs is a good
quess i'd use wood as well as charcoal in your pit and I'd use more then a
gallon of marinade due to the change of texture in the meat I've done many
a pig, a few sheep, one side of beef but one needs to be there to realy
know how the thing needs to be cooked.
boogie
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:54:22 -0400
From: "Philippa Alderton" <phlip at bright.net>
Subject: Re: SC - More Pig Questions
Kat asks:
>Query: We are expecting a full-grown wild boar, whose weight we will not
>know till it's time to start cooking. We are expecting to have to cook it
>for approx. 24 hours, give or take. How much charcoal should I buy? :-)
Expect to start out with two or three bags of charcoal, and to refresh it
with a bag every hour or so. Hint- stretch your charcoal budget by adding
chunks of an aromatic wood, presoaked for 1/2 hour in water. Suggestions
would be Apple wood (my second favorite-mesquite, my favorite, being OOP)
Oak, Hickory, or any fruit wood. Chunks should be about 2 inches thick- no
more than 3 inches, no less than 1. Length isn't as important, but try to
keep it under a foot for ease in using.
>Query: Will a gallon of marinade be enough, or should we make two? We are
>planning to "baste" the critter during cooking with spray bottles (yes we
>are buying new, food-grade bottles).
I'd go for at least 2 gallons, with intentions of making any leftover
marinade into a sauce for serving alongside the meat.
Phlip
Caer Frig
Barony of the Middle Marches
Middle Kingdom
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:09:54 -0500
From: Helen <him at gte.net>
Subject: Re: SC - More Pig Questions
http://barbecuen.com/faqs/pigs.htm
OOP but it is very good site and you can ask him questions. He says low
heat and long time is the best for the pig. About 200 degrees for 24
hours.
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 17:51:44 EDT
From: RuddR at aol.com
Subject: SC - Re: Pig's Head
Madeleine quotes and writes:
<< A full grown pig's head will yield about 6 pounds of succulent flesh not
including the tongue, brains or muscles behind the eyes.
And the best part of a pig's head is the jowls IMHO. Tender and tasty! I've
roasted more than a couple of these guys, and that's the part I save for
myself.
Ras (who brought a gilded pig's head to his very first SCA dish to pass 14
years ago.)
>>
I'm sure it was spectacular! >>
There are directions for preparing boar's head in _Joy of Cooking_ (Rombauer,
Becker, 1975), which explains the process in great detail, and presents it
as easy as possible, even for beginners.
Rudd Rayfield
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 02:25:31 EDT
From: SigridPW at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - More Pig Questions
<< Hi all; kat here, with some more questions about that pig we're spit-
roasting this coming November. I appreciate any and all input from our on-
list pig roasting experts!
<< Query: We are expecting a full-grown wild boar, whose weight we will not
know till it's time to start cooking. We are expecting to have to cook it for
approx. 24 hours, give or take. How much charcoal should I buy? :-)>>
In my experience, 125 lb.(dressed) pig roasts for 8 hours, using 5 to 6 BIG
bags of charcoal.
<< Query: Will a gallon of marinade be enough, or should we make two? We
are planning to "baste" the critter during cooking with spray bottles (yes
we are buying new, food-grade bottles).>>
Are you planning on leaving the skin on? If you are, there is no need to
baste. The skin protects the meat and seals in moisture, kinda like aluminum
foil. Word of advice... be sure you poke lots of good sized holes in the skin
to allow the grease to drip out. I left the turning of a pig to a scullery-
type person, and returned to find my pig unterned for 45 minutes. The skin
across the back had split, but the perforations had evidently cooked closed.
I found this out by turning our friend, the pig, a quarter turn, and dumping
all this melted fat straight into the fire. It was the most GLORIOUS grease
fire!
I was told the flames shot 8 feet into the air! Attesting to the benefits
of leaving the beast in it's skin... the meat was still delectable.
If you have it skinned, baste you buns off! Make extra marinade and what
doesn't go on the pig, thicken and serve as sauce at table.
<< Query: My husband plans to remove the head and bake it separately, so it
does not overcook or fall apart over the fire. What is the standard baking
time per pound for pig's head? >>
The head will not overcook or fall apart. If you cook it along with the rest
of its corporeal remains, it will be done when the thickest parts of the butt
and shoulder are done. Just put foil over his ears so they don't burn, if you
want. Kindof makes him look like and alien, but otherwise the ears get really
crispy. Same for the legs. I also think it's easier to carve on up the neck
to the "cheeks" when the piggy is whole. Not to mention it looks really cool
to have a whole pig hanging there. People ask the silliest things because
they are so... impressed. One of my favorites was, "Are you gonna EAT
that??!" My all-time favorite was, "Is it dead?"
My, how far removed we have gotten from our food sources! :o)
Madeleine
(aka Sigrid Pigwoman by my Viking friends"
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 17:18:31 -0000
From: "Oughton, Karin (GEIS, Tirlan)" <Karin.Oughton at geis.ge.com>
Subject: RE: SC - cooking in a pit or on a spit
> I am thinking about doing a feast where we will be cooking a large amount
> of meat, either a half, or perhaps a suckling pig over a spit or will bury
> it in a pit.
>
> Does anyone have any experiences with one or both methods?
>
> Lady Angeline di Aquila, Deputy Seneschal Dominion of Myrkfaelinn,
Yes - loads - I did an annual event for 4 years where we roasted a whole
pig on a spit over a wood fire at a reproduction dark age village. It's a
working village so we even had an authentic-ish 'herb garden' to work from.
In fact I've written up a page about it in my web site cooking area -
www.tirlan.com/cooking/
The times for the roasting are loose in that it is heavily dependent on the
weather - that was worst case ona grey windy rainy summer day, but sometimes
we start roasting at 12 and it's ready at 7.30 ish .
What do you want to know?
karin
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 22:37:37 EST
From: SigridPW at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - cooking in a pit or on a spit
I've spit-roasted several (i.e., 6 or 7) pigs as in PIGS! Average size being
125 to 150 pounds. Not your average 70 pound suckling pig. Size depends, of
course, on how many you're serving. Do you have a spit? If you don't, you
might considering pit baking, although I prefer spit-roasting. For spit
roasting, the cooking rules are generally a fire hot enough to keep you from
holding your hand over it for more than a couple of seconds, and turn the
beastie a quarter turn every quarter hour until done. Be sure to bank the
coals under the back end and the front end as that's where the bulk of the
meat is. Depending on size, you can figure about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes per
pound this way... my 120 pounders took about 6 to 7 hours. The bigger ones a
bit longer. For further info, you can e-mail me privately, if you wish, so
as not to take up the bandwidth here...
Lady Giulia Madelena Sarducci
(formerly known as Sigrid Pigwoman in another SCA lifetime!) :o)
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 08:40:18 EST
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - cooking in a pit or on a spit
stefan at texas.net writes:
<< Huh? If it takes 1/2 hour to 45 minutes per pound, wouldn't it take at
least 60 hours instead of 6 or 7? Perhaps you mean 1/2 minute to 45 seconds
per pound? >>
It would be the latter only if you used a microvave. :-) When I do a pig for
weddings, etc. I usually start it around midnight and it is ready a little
after noon ...about 12 hrs. later. When I did the Roc Who Feedeth Her Young
with elephants , it was started in the morning around breakfast ans was ready
for feast at 6:30 pm. Both the pigs and the roc were stuffed which would have
a significant impact on cooking times but I also kept the charcoal bed on the
'cool' side to insure a long slow roast. Locally, all the people I know who
have pig roasts have one person whose duty it is to see to the pig. Although
this isn't necessary it makes good sense because basting, adding charcoal,
spraying down the flames, turning, etc. have to be done in a timely fashion
and can't wait until the cook has the time to do it.
Depending whether the pig is stuffed or not , the actual size of the animal
and the age of the animal, roasting time will vary from 7 to 12 plus hrs.
Times can be significantly reduced if the animal is cut into several smaller
and more manageble pieces but the fun of doing the whole animal makes the
extra time worth it.
Ras
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 11:04:17 EST
From: SigridPW at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - cooking in a pit or on a spit
LrdRas at aol.com writes:
<< It would be the latter only if you used a microvave. :-) When I do a pig for
weddings, etc. I usually start it around midnight and it is ready a little
after noon ...about 12 hrs. later >>
No microwave necessary (that was another cooking bunch in Caid!). I don't
stuff them, I bank the coals under the meat ends and keep the charcoal hot.
The pig goes on about 10:30 or 11:00, and is done about 6:30... after 6 or
seven of these I've got it down to a system.... Also, If you leave the skin
on, there is no need to baste as the skin keeps the moisture in the meat. Of
course if you want to do something more than just roast it you add time,
however, at a primitive site for 75 fighter types at a war, hot roasted meat
carved off the spit seems to be more than acceptable. I suppose it would
depend on whom you were serving and what your facilities were, your staff,
etc. but .....
We couldn't start the meat any sooner because that was when the pig was
slaughtered and it needed to hang. Sometimes the pig ranch slaughtered it
the night before if we drove out and picked out the one we wanted. And as I
said, 6 to seven hours got Mr. Piggy done and on the plates! :o)
Lady Giuglia
Date: Tue, 09 Mar 1999 19:55:49 -0600
From: Helen <him at gte.net>
Subject: SC - pig cooking on a spit.
I have done a pig for my nineteenth birthday. My Grandpa helped and he is an
old cajun. He told me 100lbs and under pig plan on 8 hours. We did it for 8
hours over a low fire. And it was great. We stuffed it with garlic and green
onions that we poked into holes we made all over the pig on one side. We left
one side plain and no one ate the plain side. I plan to do 2 pigs at about 100
lbs each for my medieval wedding. I plan to slow roast them for 24 hours over a
low fire about 200 degrees. I want the meat falling off the bone. I have done
alot of web research on the best way to do it. If you have the time, slow
roasting is really worth the effort.
Helen
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 20:47:13 -0400
From: "Siegfried Heydrich" <baronsig at peganet.com>
Subject: Re: SC - OT- How do you cook a pig?
Slow, steady heat, baste regularly, and put a tent over the top of the pig
to help retain a bubble of hot air. Get an electric rotisserie and save
yourself an awesome amount of aggravation. Make sure that you either use
charcoal (and lots of it) or have your logs going past the 'flameup' stage
when you add them to the bed; if the logs are flaming, you just scorch the
meat. Have a garden hose standing by for flareups and accidents. If you're
up north, use anthracite coal for less cleanup problems. And make sure you
have a couple of large, burley helpers to help move it around.
Figure for a full grown pig at least 12-18 hours cooking time, maybe
more, depending on size - for big pigs, I actually prefer doing them in
pits. I've done pigs stuffed with kraut & sausages, forcemeat stuffing,
fruit & bread stuffing, pretty much whatever you want. The baste depends on
what you want the flavor to be, but you want a fair amount of oil in it to
keep the skin from charring and assist in heat transference. Make sure you
cover the ears, snout, tail, and hooves with foil so they don't burn. If
you're going to put something in its mouth when serving, use a wedge to hold
it open. If you're going to stuff the pig AFTER it's cooked (i.e., fresh
fruit), make sure you keep the cavity open and well oiled.
Be aware that cooking it is only the beginning - cutting and carving is
a royal pain. Let the pig rest for at least a half hour (more if you can)
after removing it from the fire before beginning to carve. If it's going to
be one of those buffet situations, put 2 carvers (1 on each side) or it'll
be a hell of a bottleneck.
Sieggy
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 21:42:01 EDT