Whole hogs roasting on spits.
Although roasting a pig looks like a massive task, something found only in places like Hawaiian resorts, it is actually something that can be done in your own backyard. With proper planning, a motorized pig spit and a few good friends or family to help move the pig and keep the fire hot, you can cook this massive, succulent main dish in an afternoon. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
Preparing the Pig
1. Make sure the pig is completely thawed out. You should be able to move the limbs a little back and forth and the skin of the hams and buttocks, the thickest part of the meat, will feel supple when pinched.
2. Dry the inside cavity of the hog with paper towels. This will reduce steam from forming inside the carcass, keeping the moisture in the meat.
3. Shave off any missed bristles or hair left on the skin of the pig using a disposable razor.
4. Rub the pig inside and out liberally with kosher salt.
Placing the Pig on the Spit
5. Insert the main bar of the pig spit through the rear of the hog and all the way up out of its mouth.
6. Make two incisions with a knife on either side of the hog's spine. Loop a piece of 14-to 16-gauge wire through the incisions and around the spit. Twist the end of the wire as tight as possible with a pair of pliers to secure the hog to the spit.
7. Wrap another piece of wire in a figure eight around the pig's front ankles. Secure the wire to the spit's secondary support bar by twisting the ends with a pair of pliers. Do this again for the back ankles.
Roasting the Pig
8. Heat your first batch of coals in a chimney starter, away from the pig.
9. Place your coals in a circular ring underneath the pig. You want the heat of the charcoal to hit the butt and the hams of the hog, which are the slowest parts to cook. Place an aluminum pan down underneath the belly of the hog, where there should be no coals, to catch the drippings.
10. Start the motor for rotating the spit. Refresh the coals every 30 minutes or so for the next four to six hours as the pig turns and cooks.
11. Remove the aluminum pan and add an even layer of charcoal under the hog when the pig has 30 to 60 minutes left on the spit. This is get a really fast, high heat to make a succulent, crispy skin. You may have to stop or slow the spit in order to distribute the heat evenly over the pig.
12. Remove the hog from the spit and lay it out on a large surface covered in foil. Let it cool 20 minutes before carving. While carving, place each of pork in the aluminum pan of drippings to soak up even more moisture.
Tags: pair pliers, with pair, with pair pliers