So... Lariat asked me for my 'pig recipe' offline and I don't have any secrets about it, so figured I'd post the full-response here.
There are a million ways to do it... but this is how I learned and have only had 'one' bad pig that was really an issue when I had a defective propane tank and it under-cooked. I saved it by cutting chunks off and finishing on a Weber. It was good, but sucks when 50 people are waiting for pig and it's... rare. Lesson learned: Always have 3 full propane tanks. One main one. One finishing one. And a backup in case 1 or 2 go bad. It happens.
Here is what I sent Lariat:
Absolutely!
I do a couple a year, just for here at the farm... friends, etc.
I had a cooker built a few years ago, (out of a semi-truck Diesel tank... new not used!). Four burner. So I now 'know' my cooker. If you are renting, you have to watch things much closer. I got tired of rental cookers. I always cook on propane with a pan of water over the burners (part of the design). So its' not a dry heat like over charcoal. And I've never done a spit or in-ground. Just so you know!
I've done pigs from as small as 40 pounds (did a goat at the same time and that was wicked amazing good!) up to about 120 pounds which is too big for my cooker, so I had to cut it in half and 'telescope' the ribs to get it to fit. Most cookers will take a 50 - 80 just fine. Cooking 'times' and temps by pound are available online. But a 120 pounder is a long cook. (aka getting up a 1 am to start the BBQ for a 6 PM feed). 50 - 80, I start at 6 am - 7 am.
To prep the pig... make sure the cavity is clean and the 'giblets' are removed. Don't want to find you accidentally cooked a plastic bag of kidneys, liver and other nasty shit. I cut up the liver and cook it well, well done for the cats. I throw the rest away. I don't trust pig organs. But maybe that's just me.
Then I put it in a brine tank with ice water and salt. One of the guys posted earlier that it makes no difference? Honestly, I would not know. I never knew anyone who didn't brine one. So why not do it? Brine for 48 hours but don't let the pig get warm... keep ice in the water. Otherwise the pig can spoil. I also cover it with plastic to keep the moths from falling in. Oh and I keep it indoors. Or the bears and yotes will walk off with it!
On cooking day, I take heavy duty reynolds aluminum foil. The widest kind. And attach strips together in two layers to make two huge sheets of leak-proof aluminum foil. Big enough to completely wrap pig. Folding and 'ironing' the joints of the foil will make it leak-proof. The final sheet is always about 3 feet wide by about 5 feet long. Again, enough to fully wrap the pig.
I set this aside and unroll chicken wire (4-foot wide roll) and get a piece longer than the pig and enough to wrap around the pig. When you cut the chicken wire... leave 'pigtails' on both ends to twist together. AND make sure you don't have any 'little loose' pieces that can fall into the pig. They would not be fun to bite into. Be very careful about this.
Before you put the pig on the foil/chicken wire... take a piece of wire (I use fence wire) and punch holes in the front and rear feet and 'bind them together.' so that all four feet are wired. Some pigs it is easier to bind front to front. Rear to rear. And then put a piece of wire between them. Some will bind together with one piece of wire. But it's important to poke through the pig between the tendon and the bone. Otherwise it will pop off.
Now lay the chicken wire out perpindicular to the pig and lay the tin foil carefull on top of it with the long length parallell to the pig and opposite the chicken wire 'ends.'. Don't cut or puncture the tin foil or all your juices will run out. But as long as you are careful and don't throw things around, the foil will be ok. Now (with a helper) lay the pig, feet up, on its back on the tin foil. Gentley to not poke holes in the foil. Now wrap the foil around the pig, leaving the feet sticking out and a 'slit' in the top to let steam out and to pour 'sauce' in if you want to. And wrap the chicken wire around the pig, the pigtails you left on the wire get twisted together to stitch it closed.
I often do this 'on' the grille itself and then slide the grill into the BBQ. Or do it on a table and sling the pig carefully onto the BBQ, not cutting the tinfoil. Get help. You will break the tinfoil if you try and manhandle it around. Everything at this stage is gentle.
The take one more piece of fence wire and 'hook' the feet to the top of the cooker. Can be around the hinge or over the top. But you want to keep the pig on its back.
Last, your sauce. You may not need or want any! But I learned and prefer Eastern NC Style. Which is a vinegar/pepper molassas sauce that is super easy to make. You take a gallon of white or cider vinegar. Pour out about a pint and replace with a full jar (16 oz or so) of Grandma's Molassas. Then pour in an entire large jar of crushed red pepper. Let sit for about a week before you are going to cook. This is both the cooking and 'serving' sauce. I pour about 1/3rd of a gallon into the cavity of the raw pig. Another 1/2 gallon goes in periodically while cooking. That leaves a nice big bowl full for serving. There is a South Carolina variant which has mustard in it (a thin, runny mustard sauce) which is also awesome, but you'd have to look up a recipe. And then there are the 'red sauces' but, again, I don't use those. One thing I have started doing is using a quart of pineapple syrup. I make dehydrated pineapple chips in my dehydrator. And save the syrup from the canned pineapple in the freezer. I pour this in the pig cavity before adding the carolina BBQ sauce and it's wicked good. I have not done a 'Hawaiian' pig but I have done a goat which you cook packed with rice. That's how I would do a hawaiian pig if I were going to do it. I'd cook a LOT of rice (a gallon or two), but I'd only cook it half-way to 'soft.' Then before putting the pig in the tinfoil, i'd pack with rice (Basmati or Jasmine or brown would be my choice) and then pour in the pineapple juice and 'hawaiian' spices. It's sort of how I did my goat and it was wicked good. Maybe throw some banana slices around it for flavor? Just a thought. Not tried it.
Now with the pig tied into the lid of the BBQ and secure, close the lid and run the cooker for the correct time. I run at about 200 degrees and will bump up the temp to about 280 in the last 2 hours to 'crisp.' Depends on weight. Again with a rented cooker... watch like a hawk! Add sauce throught he slit round the feet every now and then. Despite the tin foil and all the juices, it WILL crisp up beautifully. Cracklin's galore. And the meat will be wonderfully juicy and tender.
When it's time to serve, tear/pull up. Serve cracklin's (pieces of skin) and hamburger buns and cole-slaw. Beans as well. And it'll be a feast. If you are doing it with rice inside, dig rice out and put in a big collander and let the 'pig juices' drain out. And serve. It will be flavored well, but not 'swimming in sauce.' But it won't be fluffy uncle bens either. (Are we allowed to call it Uncle Ben?)
Anyway, hope this helps. I have some pictures somewhere of pigs... but I think the description gives a good roadmap. And, there is no right or wrong way to cook a pig. I'd love to do a spit, but it is an art and done wrong, the whole pig collapses into the fire. I learned the 'safe way' to wrap it to keep moisture in and 'chicken wire' it so that it doesn't fall apart when it gets really cooked and tender.
Last... leftovers are amazing. Taking pulled pork and frying it into taco's... or fajitas... amazing. Cracklins freeze and are delicious like bacon. Cracklin poppers are awesome. So a pig is the gift that keeps on giving. Flavor any way you want! It's all delicious!
Cheers, Sirhr
PS. Disclaimer is that this is not 'the right' way to cook a pig. There are a ton of ways and I'd say most are awesome!. This is one way. Has worked for me and others a lot. If you have another way, I'm always learning!
