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Rag1

Executive Chef
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
3,022
Location
Berks Cty, Pa.
I ordered a 100# pig (on the hoof) to smoke on 12/29/07. Will be 100% oak/maple burn. Temp probes in ham and shoulder. Pit to be held at 240*. Pig to be done at 205* internal. Will paint with Italian dressing at 2 times.
Given the above, what else do I need to know or do??????

Hair on or hair off???? Just kidding. Who would shave a pig?

Welcome your wisdom.
 
Rag said:
I ordered a 100# pig (on the hoof) to smoke on 12/29/07. Will be 100% oak/maple burn. Temp probes in ham and shoulder. Pit to be held at 240*. Pig to be done at 205* internal. Will paint with Italian dressing at 2 times.
Given the above, what else do I need to know or do??????

Hair on or hair off???? Just kidding. Who would shave a pig?

Welcome your wisdom.

WE need to know, when and where you will be serving so we can all show up! :LOL:
 
Rag said:
I ordered a 100# pig (on the hoof) to smoke on 12/29/07. Will be 100% oak/maple burn. Temp probes in ham and shoulder. Pit to be held at 240*. Pig to be done at 205* internal. Will paint with Italian dressing at 2 times.
Given the above, what else do I need to know or do??????

Hair on or hair off???? Just kidding. Who would shave a pig?

Welcome your wisdom.

You butchering it yourself? If you are, just scald the hog in
hot water and scrape the hair off, if getting from a butcher,
it should come de-haired.
100 lb. on the hoof... so what's that work out to dressed?
About 65-70lb.'s?

I don't see what painting it with anything at all will do for it
through the skin.
I surely would NOT take the skin off before cooking.
Maybe injecting might work, but I wouldn't mess with the perfection
flavor of a slow cooked whole hog. Not sure Italian dressing would
go well with it anyhow.

I also have found this time a year EXTREMELY bad to do a whole hog.
They put on extreme amounts of pure fat for the winter.
It messes with your cooking times and just makes for an awfully
greasy hog, not to mention the overall amount of weight lost to fat.

I've done a few.....just my $.02

Hopefully the Pa. area hogs fatten up less for winter
Keep us posted 4 sure!
 
Smokey_Joe said:
Rag said:
I ordered a 100# pig (on the hoof) to smoke on 12/29/07. Will be 100% oak/maple burn. Temp probes in ham and shoulder. Pit to be held at 240*. Pig to be done at 205* internal. Will paint with Italian dressing at 2 times.
Given the above, what else do I need to know or do??????

Hair on or hair off???? Just kidding. Who would shave a pig?

Welcome your wisdom.

You butchering it yourself? If you are, just scald the hog in
hot water and scrape the hair off, if getting from a butcher,
it should come de-haired.
100 lb. on the hoof... so what's that work out to dressed?
About 65-70lb.'s?

I don't see what painting it with anything at all will do for it
through the skin.
I surely would NOT take the skin off before cooking.
Maybe injecting might work, but I wouldn't mess with the perfection
flavor of a slow cooked whole hog. Not sure Italian dressing would
go well with it anyhow.

I also have found this time a year EXTREMELY bad to do a whole hog.
They put on extreme amounts of pure fat for the winter.
It messes with your cooking times and just makes for an awfully
greasy hog, not to mention the overall amount of weight lost to fat.

I've done a few.....just my $.02

Hopefully the Pa. area hogs fatten up less for winter
Keep us posted 4 sure!

Just yanking your bobber on the hair thing. A farmer down the road from me raises them and will do the butchering (will scald and scrape hair).
Go thought on the winter fat, Joe, I'll be aware of that.
My buddy has been taught by his father to roast pigs and the one I tasted had used Italian dressing as a sauce mixed in the pulled meat. He also pooled it in the cavity when finished on it's back. I'm a BIG fan of vinegar based sauce, but still really liked the Italian dressing.
Weight? I'm guessing 70# dressed.
 
Rag said:
Smokey_Joe said:
Rag said:
I ordered a 100# pig (on the hoof) to smoke on 12/29/07. Will be 100% oak/maple burn. Temp probes in ham and shoulder. Pit to be held at 240*. Pig to be done at 205* internal. Will paint with Italian dressing at 2 times.
Given the above, what else do I need to know or do??????

Hair on or hair off???? Just kidding. Who would shave a pig?

Welcome your wisdom.

You butchering it yourself? If you are, just scald the hog in
hot water and scrape the hair off, if getting from a butcher,
it should come de-haired.
100 lb. on the hoof... so what's that work out to dressed?
About 65-70lb.'s?

I don't see what painting it with anything at all will do for it
through the skin.
I surely would NOT take the skin off before cooking.
Maybe injecting might work, but I wouldn't mess with the perfection
flavor of a slow cooked whole hog. Not sure Italian dressing would
go well with it anyhow.

I also have found this time a year EXTREMELY bad to do a whole hog.
They put on extreme amounts of pure fat for the winter.
It messes with your cooking times and just makes for an awfully
greasy hog, not to mention the overall amount of weight lost to fat.

I've done a few.....just my $.02

Hopefully the Pa. area hogs fatten up less for winter
Keep us posted 4 sure!

Just yanking your bobber on the hair thing. A farmer down the road from me raises them and will do the butchering (will scald and scrape hair).
Go thought on the winter fat, Joe, I'll be aware of that.
My buddy has been taught by his father to roast pigs and the one I tasted had used Italian dressing as a sauce mixed in the pulled meat. He also pooled it in the cavity when finished on it's back. I'm a BIG fan of vinegar based sauce, but still really liked the Italian dressing.
Weight? I'm guessing 70# dressed.

I'm liking the idea of the Italian Dressing actually! I don't see a thing wrong with it, afterall the ingredients are (oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs and spices). Not much different than a BBQ sauce if you take out the tomatoes.......... Take lots of pic's Rag!!
 
Actually the fire box end has more radiant heat coming up which I normally take advantage of. I put a 1/2" steel plate under the grate down there which evened out the temp. Vertical the heat will even out IF the door is keep closed.
In the end I'll just eat the good parts......got to be at least one good spot. LOL
 
you can call me if you need any help, but the only thing you really oughta do is rotate the pig at least once.. start the head towards the fire box, then rotate about 3 hours into it, and you'll be fine.. also might want loosely tie the rear legs, so when you turn it, it doesnt fall apart.. and no peaking, or it will take you a lot longer than 7 hours to finish that thing
 
Pig is done :D :D :D
This post is a little long; sorry; skip it if you are in a hurry.
First let me say this was the very best pork I have ever eaten. First rate...top shelf....and easy.
I picked up the pig late Friday PM from the farmer who did a very good and clean butcher job. I was surprised at it's size. A 70# dressed piggy is not that large. Easy to handle and carry.
The pig fit with room to spare in the Lang 60....head on, in racing posture. Mine could have been butterflied and fit.
I set up everything in the cooker; two temp probes in the shoulders and one in the butt (hiner), plus the pit probe through a small tater sitting on the back (waist). Rain was predicted so I had to bag up electrical connections, monitor electronics and a No. 10 can over each of the two Guru fans.
It was in the mid 30*s, so the pig could sit in the cooker until light-off time. All set....went to bed.
I woke up at 2:30 AM and its pouring rain, big time. I took a wad of newspaper out with me and shoved it in the fire box on top of the firewood and small pile of charcoal. I light the paper and then light my weed burner from the flaming paper. In 5 minutes the fire is going good enough to let the Guru take over and I can get my groggy wet butt back in the house. Of course the pouring rain stopped as I entered the house.
The official start time was 3:15 am as the pit hit 240*.
I didn't use a rub or any wet down on the pig. I had mentioned using Italian dressing, but never got it out.
At 8am I dropped the pit temp to 210* as the meat hit 150*. We wanted to eat at mid afternoon and this baby was cooking fast.
At 1pm I dropped the pit temp to 200* as the meat also hit 200*.
The guru held the temps on the mark during the whole cook.
At 3pm I shut her down.
The skin was like a thick plastic with an inch gap between it and the meat.
Only a couple of inches of fat drained into a small drip bucket. That was a surprise.
The meat was SUPER moist and very, very tender from end to end. The skin must seal the moisture in. Using Bear Claws, the meat fell away from the bones. Joints fell apart. The whole deal was picked and panned in 10 minutes.
I'm doing another one (possibly larger) in 2 weeks at a hunting camp. I hope it comes close to this one in results.
If you have a pit large enough, you owe it to yourself to try this. It's as easy as falling off a log.
My thinking is the pig stayed more moist because of the protectiveness of the racing type position, rather than split and flattened. Also, the long time at temp rendered this meat just right. They are 2 two things to keep in mind.
Wasn't much to shoot pics of. Start-out shots and finished shots. They look the same, just different color.
Man, I am pleased with this cook.

http://usera.imagecave.com/Rag/xmas/


If you read this far, thanks. If not, I don't blame you for bailing out as it is long.
 
I made it all the way through and think you did a fabulous job! Sure wish i was there for the taste test approval.
 
That looks great Rag.

Rember to take more pics on the next one. :D

Are you using a big charcoal basket in that Lang ?

If so then what kind of burn time are you getting ?
 
Way to go Rag !!!! hoggys are the best thing to hit the smoker, hands down..the meat that comes of there is sinfully good... btw wot did you do with the skin??? that craklin is some good eats !!!
 
great job...you can still get tender moist pig if you split the pig
Carolina style and at least finish skin side down..I prefer the majority
or even all the cooking be done skin side down...this way allows you
get rub and smoke flavor inside the meat, also lets you create
some bark, and the pig stays moist as the skin holds the juices in.

Works either way...kinda neat seeing him "racing" up there though,
makes a great presentation.
 
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