# Pig Roast!



## whitey ford (Jun 22, 2007)

Doing a big family reunion on Saturday and we're roasting a pig! 120-150 people so we're getting a big one---100+ lbs.

Been busy all morning calling purveyors and securing a pig and roaster. Will have to borrow a truck to pick up the pig and roaster from nearest large city. Think we can only get a frozen one, which means several days of thawing.

We'll have a huge display of pineapples, (and grilled pineapple) mangoes, bananas and papayas. Tiki torches, too!

Setting up and starting the roasting on Friday night for 7pm Saturday service. The roasting of the pig will take place on the gravel driveway and then we'll have to devise a way to transport it down a hill to a beach area. (Will slice it and transport platters of the meat to the pre set up buffet display. And of course have the head with an apple in the mouth on display.)

What fun!

Anybody have any tips to make it absolutely knockout?


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## frayedknot (Dec 17, 2006)

******, sounds like a great time. Are you sure you have enough Q? Think about your yeild, after carcass, grease, skin etc is thrown away! What type of wood are you going to use?? Hickory is classic, I use pecan...little bit more subtle. I would prolly purchase two 80lb pigs... good BBQ never goes to waste. *Remember LOW AND SLOW (cooker temp 225-250) ..*. I am certainly not the expert but I do compete in some local SC cookoffs...I do a "pig picking" for New Yrs. Generally about 50 people give or take show up, I use an 80-100 lb pig...I start the cooker about 6:00am and it is ready to eat 10-12 hrs later... be carefull NOT to over cook it... it will dry out. What type of sauce are you going to use, depending on where you come from here in the Carolinas depends on whether or not you like tomatoe base, vinegar base, or mustard base. What about sides, beans, slaw, "hush puppies" :smoking: OH peach cobbler with home made ice cream is wonderful too...the cobbler can be made on the cooker in hotel pans once the buffet is set up... 

Coolers are an excellant way to "hold" the meat... if you wrap the hams/shoulders in foil then a towel and place in the cooler, it will hold for a 1-2 hrs without drying out and getting cold. 

I have a couple of recipes for different sauces, sweet, spicey, smokey I would be happy to share. Any way... Good luck...sounds like a good time for sure.


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## whitey ford (Jun 22, 2007)

The roaster/spit is charcoal. We're going to be grilling some pork loins on the side so that we'll have enough. More than 100 lbs is just too difficult to handle.

Chefguy says he's gonna throw everything at it---apricot jam, orange juice. He's gonna make some kind of plum rum sauce and a demi. He's done lots of pig roasts, so I'm just gonna trust him on it. We're all Northern NY State Yankees, so the southern thing is not our deal. But we will roast it slow and low heat. We won't overcook it. Great tip on the storing in ice chests.

Other people are providing the sides which will include cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad, mac and cheese and desserts. We'll probably end up making a few big trays of deviled eggs, a green salad. It's casual---outdoors, people in bathing suits, kegs of beer.

And although we do catering professionally, this is for my family! Hope it doesn't rain!


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## frayedknot (Dec 17, 2006)

Here is a recipe for deviled eggs... Run it by Chef guy and see what he thinks mebbe try some see if your "northern crowd"  Likes em...they are definately different. 

6 eggs
½ tsp. cumin
Vidalia Onion Relish

3 Tbs. bread and butter pickles, diced
½ tsp. salt
Mayonnaise to bind the mixture, about 3 Tbs.

Hard boil eggs

Put the boiled/peeled egg in the smoker. Spray with non-stick spray. Smoke-cook for 45 minutes at 225 degrees F. Remove from smoker.

Halve the eggs and scoop out the yolks to a mixing bowl. Break them up with the back of a fork. Blend the yolks with cumin, cilantro, diced bread and butter pickles, and salt. Toss lightly with mayonnaise. Divide the filling into the egg halves, grind on some whole black pepper, and chill.

You can substitute sweet pickle relish for the bread and butter pickles."

Have fun.... send the rain this way...we need it bad


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Funny I was going to say, that's a little pig.....I've been getting in 260# hogs and breaking them down. 100 pound is that live weight or hung weight? You oughta be able to get a fresh pig. 
Where are you located?


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## thistle (Apr 16, 2006)

I just got back from a family reunion/memorial service myself, w/ a pig-picking, & wanted to add my thoughts. We had a fairly small group, about 20 family members, & an equal number of neighbors & friends. The location was on the Intercoastal Waterway, in NC, we had a small private memorial service Sat. morning & then later that day, my BIL, Scott, drove in w/ the pigcooker & pig. 

We set up a small tent in the backyard & had deviled eggs, bean dip, artichoke dip, baked beans, spinach salad, green salad, pasta salad, potato salad, slaw, rolls, & for desserts-trifle, fruit salad, chocolate poundcake, watermelon, & a graham cracker 'eclair'. At the end of the evening, after much soda & beer, we had fireworks. It was a great party!...


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## whitey ford (Jun 22, 2007)

We tried to get a fresh pig, but it just wasn't happening. I'm in Northern NY State. Total weight gutted and frozen was 116 lbs and cost 178.00. 

We have it on a table wrapped in the plastic and in a cardboard box in the garage. Hope no bears sniff it out and break down the garage door. Frozen solid at this point, but we're gonna pack it in ice as it really begins to thaw. 

Didn't pick up the smoker yet, so we don't really know what we're getting. Chefguy is used to a deluxe model with propane and an electric rotisserie, but this is a plain charcoal model. We may have to chop off the head and roast that in the oven and sorta butterfly the pig and cook it first on one side, then the other. We also have some supplementary pork loins.

Frayedknot--The smoked deviled eggs sound good, but I'm afraid that this crowd likes the old tried and true. Mustard, mayo, spooned, not piped, sprinkled with paprika.

Thistle--Yeah, it's going to be a party much like yours. We set up a tent today. The location is great---on the roofdeck of the boathouse at Lake George. If the weather is bad, we can switch to the house.


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## frayedknot (Dec 17, 2006)

Frayedknot--The smoked deviled eggs sound good, but I'm afraid that this crowd likes the old tried and true. Mustard, mayo, spooned, not piped, sprinkled with paprika.

Well I totally understand. But c'mon take a walk on the wild side...:smoking:

Have a great time..


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

I pay about that for a whole fresh gutted ( I gets the liver, heart, kidneys thank you) 260# hog.....delivered.

Where are you in Upstate NY.....Cornell should have info on heirloom hog producers as would the dept of ag if they are on the ball.


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## whitey ford (Jun 22, 2007)

Well, it was a big pain, but we pulled off the pig roast just fine.

Chefguy woke up at six am to prepare the fire. He started with charcoal, but ended up using oak. (Built up fire with pig set aside, let that burn down into coals, put pig pieces back on grill, repeated throughout the day) 

No rotisserie, so he broke it down, then reconsituted it in pig shape on the two big hotel pans he duct taped together and disguised with melon and lettuce and other fruits.

Was a big hit. Was very tasty and looked great. But I think it's more fun in theory than in practice---a lot of work, what with borrowing a truck and driving 1+ hrs each way to rent the roaster.

I think next time, I'll just grill some pork loins on the gas grill.


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