July 26, 2010
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Pig roast
This past weekend, my friends and I attempted a pig roast at one of my friend’ place. He lives in a big place with a huge backyard and we wanted to do it Hawaiian style where you bury the pig that’s surrounded by hot stones for about 20-22 hours and then dig it up to find crispy roasted skin with meat that’s so tender, it falls off the bone. Unfortunately, his dad wouldn’t be too happy with us digging a giant hole in his backyard and we wound up using a smoker.
It was a suckling pig, weighing at about 30lbs. We didn’t have time to marinate or prep it earlier and instead used a makeshift BBQ type of sauce and covered it along with salt and pepper. I stuffed it with elephant garlic and a couple of onions to let it bring out the aroma as it roasted. By now, it was around 6:30pm and smoking it was going to take too long. We fired up the smoker at a higher temperature and roasted the pig instead.
After flipping it once and 3.5 hours later, we removed it from the smoker and carried the pig into the kitchen where we began carving it. Fifteen hungry people crowded around to watch as the meat was slowly being taken off the pig. The rear wasn’t entirely cooked, so I chopped it off and brought it back to the smoker. Another 30-45 mins would have done the trick.
The verdict? The pig was good, but could have been much better. I definitely needed more time to prep and cook. I think if I had started it early, I would have kept the temperatures low and let it slowly cook. The heat was too high and some of the skin was really burnt.
I think if I ever buy a house in the future, I would have a housewarming with a real pig roast, either the lua way like the Hawaiians and bury it in the ground or build a pig roaster with metal and concrete blocks like the Cubans. Both require a decent amount of space and time. Both would yield delicious roasted pigs. Can’t wait!
Have you ever done or been to a pig roast? How was it?
Comments (13)
My friend was just thinking of roasting a pig in his backyard. I’ll let you know how it goes.
My former coworker does a pig roast every summer for his birthday. I think this is the 7th year he’s done it. He builds his with the concrete blocks and has a giant baking sheet contraption with handles (but instead of a solid sheet it’s a metal grate with giant holes)…I’m drawing a blank on what it’s called, but it kind of looks like the things medics would use in old movies to carry wounded people. He also makes home brewed beer and guests participate in a BBQ sauce contest (every one brings home made BBQ and people vote throughout the day which is the best).
@sandy - That.sounds.sOOOOO.freakin.AWESOME.
-ray leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Not really a fan of pork, but a lot of the good food takes time to cook. Oh well, this time you know to start preparing earlier!!
poor pig
i think i need to be outdoors more, i miss sunlight
have you considered using la caja china?
http://www.lacajachina.com/
Funny you mention this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/dining/21pig.html?scp=1&sq=pig%20roast&st=cse
I want some meat now…
@gapeach - That’s where I got the idea from!
-ray leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I just had lunch…but after reading this, I’m hungry again. My youth group back at home did a pig roast one year when we went camping. It was sensational. All I can remember was …the guys standing in a middle of the campsite area telling the girls to go away. Otherwise, it was delish to the max.
We have some Filopino neighbors who would invite us over for parties and sometimes there was a pig roast. Roasted pig is one of my favorite foods now and I’m not usually a big fan of pork. I’m not sure what their method was though.
can’t remember but yes despite that i didn’t like pork.
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