Cooking Hogs

So my wife is planning a party for her recent promotion (a wetting down for those who know what that is) and she wants to roast/grill/whatever a hog.

So-Learn me about hog cooking. How much piggy do we need to buy (somewhere between 50-60 people)?? Recipes for spices/marinades?? Pits or other cooking styles?

I'm open to any suggestions-so throw them out there!!

 

When you purchase the hog they will advise how big a pic you need. For a whole pig its usually 1 pound per person. It seems like a lot compared to the 8 oz per person but there is alot of waste on a whole pig.

 

Toughtaco got it. roughly 1 lb per person. a 50-65 lb pig ( that is gutted and head on typically) will not yeild 50-65 lbs meat after cooking. i'm not positive how much it will yield but should be sufficient considering that is not the only food there.

I cooked one last summer and am doing it again 2 weeks from now. used a big slow roaster, like a 55 gal cut in half with a rack in it..... worked great if you can get ahold of it.

as far as a good recipe, heres mine.

brine the whole hog in a large cooler the day before (65 lb hog is about 3 1/2 -4 ft long)
5 gal apple juice
5 gal water
5 gal apple cider vinegar
chopped onions
crushed garlic
black pepper
cloves
kosher salt

mix it up well and put the pig in. rotate the pig in a few hours and let sit overnight (refrigerated or throw enough ice in the cooler to keep cold and safe)

made a wet rub also as well as a spray

wet rub is to be slathered on hog before cooking. cut slits in the skin and rub it up in there and all over that oinker

orange juice, mustard (grain is possible), rosemary, thyme, garlic, mix well, dont want it to be soupy so start with a little oj and add as necessary

Get a spray bottle and fill with 1/2 apple juice, 1/4 cider vin, and 1/4 white wine, mixed to spray on pig while cooking

ok, to cook.... like i said, you need a grill or roaster big enough to fit it in there. mine was propane powered with a wood chip rack for some added flavor

cooked the whole thing at 220 F, never messed with the temp

started with the skin side down (touching rack) and went for 1 1/2 hrs, then flipped it and went for 7 1/2 more hours, every half hour or hour give it a spray. so cooking about 9 hours total at 220 F.

Hope this helped

and remember the cheek meat is the best part, seriously !

 

any chinese or phillipino joints in your area? you can get a whole roasted pig, cheaper than DIY. at least in my area..

 

ahh the old cochon de lait!

Not sure about cooking it, but make sure you get an apple for the mouth!

 

cochon de lait........ is the literal translation pic from milk??? A little help please.

 

That was a great primer all the way around..Thanks!!

One question-The roaster...Covered or uncovered?? I'm thinking about building a fire pit in the back yard anyways...and I'm wondering if that'll cover it. I don't mind cooking over coals...

 

You can go to the butcher and buy a whole hog and have them butterfly in for you and it will cook a lot faster and more evenly. 80 pound live hog will give you about 35 to 40 pounds of meat when cooked.

 

I did covered just because its easier to monitor the temp, and keeps the heat somewhat consistent all the way around, kind of like roasting.


And yes, hogs are usually butterflied when purchased cleaned.

 

For the love of god, brunes- don't cook the pig alive. That's just cruel.

 

Lechon Baboy. Mmmmmm...............

Dinuguan... eat at your own risk.

http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/filipino-pork-dinuguan-recipe-pork-blood-stew/
Pork Dinuguan (also called dinardaraan in Ilocano, or pork blood stew in English) is a Filipino savory stew of blood and meat simmered in a rich, spicy gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili and vinegar.

The term dinuguan comes from the word dugo meaning “blood”. It is recognizably thick and dark, hence the Westernized euphemism “chocolate meat.” It is similar to the Singapore dish pig’s organ soup, differing in that it does not contain vegetables and has a characteristically thick gravy.

Due to the offal it is frequently considered an unusual or alarming dish to those in Western culture, though it is rather similar to European-style blood sausage, or British black pudding in a saucy stew form. It is perhaps closer in appearance and preparation to the ancient Spartan dish known as black gruel whose primary ingredients were pork, vinegar and blood. Dinuguan is often served with white rice or a Filipino rice cake called puto.

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Pork Dinuguan Ingredients:

• 1 k. of pork belly, cut into small cubes
• 350 g. of pork liver
• 4 c. of pig’s blood

• 3 chili peppers (siling haba)
• 1 head of garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced
• 3 onions, halved and sliced thinly
• 1 pouch of sinigang mix good for 1 liter of broth
• 1 bay leaf
• salt
• pepper (optional)
• 1 tbsp. of cooking oil

Pork Dinuguan Cooking Instructions:

• Refrigerate the pig’s blood until needed.
  
• Heat a heavy casserole.
  
• Pour in the cooking oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the garlic and ginger.
  
• Saute until fragrant. Add the pork pieces and cook over high heat until the edges of the pork start to brown.
  
• Add the onions, chili peppers, bay leaf and sinigang mix and continue cooking until the onions are transparent.
  
• Season with salt and pepper, if using.
  
• Pour in just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the pork is very tender.
  
• Add more water, a little at a time, if the liquid dries up before the pork is cooked.
• Meanwhile, minced the liver.
  
• Season with a little salt.
  
• When the pork is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, take the pig’s blood out of the refrigerator.
  
• Transfer to a clean bowl. With you hands, mash solid masses to a pulp. Pour the mashed blood and the liquid into the casserole. Bring to a boil.
  
• Cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced liver and cook for another minute or two.
  
• Add more salt if necessary.
  Serve the dinuguan hot with puto (sweet rice cakes) or steamed rice.

 

Brunes, did you track down a mass of pork yet? Got mine in today. 48.5lbs. cooking early next week, along with brisket, whole chickens, and broccoli rabe sausage . I'll be sure to share......pics that is



look at that cutie

 

welcome to come buy my hog.. its 202 right now

 

I smoke a lot, but never a whole hog, although I had a good buddy from North Carloina that was a pro at it, his go to statement was "if you can hear him cooking, he's too hot".

 

Here she is

8:30 am, just getting warmed up


This is at about 3:30, almost there, went for about 2 more hours.
Fucking delicious

 

Dude-That's a lot of meat!! I haven't yet...The wife is on the hook for some of this work as it is her party...and we have both been super busy. But this weekend and early next week I'm working on it. Still gotta figure out the pit too....I'm thinking I might do charcoal and wood.....

 

love the pit idea, just have to be able to cook it slow and low temp. i didnt go over 250, tried to hold it mostly around 220. used propane burners with wood chips in the barrel. as long as you can manage the temperature, the pit would be awesome!

 

Is that beer can chicken?? This thread is making me hungry!!