Whole Hog Cooking....First Time, Need some tips......

Bocephuss

New member
I'm planning on heading to the great state of Texas to back me a little hog to do a whole hog roast with a bunch of friends for the 4th of July.

I have never done this before, so naturally all my info and sources will come from forums and youtube videos.

I plan to do one of those bury in the ground, cover in dirt, style of cookouts. I've had that a few times in my life, and it was amazing, so I'm hoping I can learn how to do that.

A lot of my questions right now stem with how to prep the hog....

From what I see, you leave the skin on, but take the hair off? How does one do that effectively?

From there, do you just gut it like you would any other time? Any vital things I need to remember to remove as well at that time?

After this is complete, do I let the pig sit in a large cooler with salt water to start the brining process?


Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Bryan
 
Originally Posted By: BocephussI'm planning on heading to the great state of Texas to back me a little hog to do a whole hog roast with a bunch of friends for the 4th of July.

I have never done this before, so naturally all my info and sources will come from forums and youtube videos.

I plan to do one of those bury in the ground, cover in dirt, style of cookouts. I've had that a few times in my life, and it was amazing, so I'm hoping I can learn how to do that.

A lot of my questions right now stem with how to prep the hog....


Originally Posted By: BocephussFrom what I see, you leave the skin on, but take the hair off? How does one do that effectively? The best way is to dip it in hot water for a minute, then brush clean (fleshing knife works great). But, you can use a weed burner from Home Depot. It’s basically a propane blow torch that would burn them off and then using water and brush rinse it off.


Originally Posted By: BocephussFrom there, do you just gut it like you would any other time? Any vital things I need to remember to remove as well at that time? completely gut, and clean it out, rinse it out well. (if you find blue smurf coloring on the fat, I wouldn’t eat it)

I would also Gut and clean the internal cavity including wind pipe to the rectum as soon as feasibly possible.


Originally Posted By: BocephussAfter this is complete, do I let the pig sit in a large cooler with salt water to start the brining process? That is a personal preference thing. If you have been to someones house where they did a roasting that you liked, ask them what they did.
I have personally don’t brine it, but you can with apple juice and brown sugar (is what friends use), and splay it out on a rack and tie it down with wire. Then the hole it goes in has a few bricks on the ground to keep the rack off the ground but let the fat drip. Used cinder wall blocks to line the sides, and had a metal top that covered it over. We built a fire over the top and had cables to lift it off (a lip on the lid helps keep the ashes from falling in). Make the fire get to coals, and then place the hog in, we cooked for 5 hours for 100# hog, and keep adding wood as needed to keep the coals going. When you get to the time, you can pop the top and temp it. Often people don’t do that and over cook the thing. Once it gets to temp pull out and wrap in tinfoil and place somewhere to let it cool slowly(i also like to let it rest feet up so the moisture runs to the back straps). (ideally it would finish with an hour to spare before party, so its cooler and in case it’s not done yet, you can have more time to cook) but remember that it’s going to keep cooking this way (letting it cool), and take that into account when you temp it.

I personally just pull it out of the hole, let it cool, and then slice it with a fillet knife to let those that want to eat cut it off themselves. I put out a couple bottle of Siracha hot sauce, and done.
I always find it funny to watch people cut it themselves since most don’t have a clue where the Ham is or the Loin is located. People I know usually start with the front shoulder. My hunting friends all go straight for the back and ham.

Good luck, hope this gives you some ideas.


 
you are very welcome.. I only roast a hog or two a year with friends.

I am sure there are some guys here that attend, or host a lot more often.

I know that if i lived in an area in Texas that had hogs like we see, I would be trying my hand at making bacon and roasting hogs on a regular basis.
 
What Tbone has described is pretty much the normal procedure but I will share what we did after a particular operation with 1st Bn 7th Marines while in Nam. We skinned a hog which we shot after we secured the village compound and let him hang while we prepared the fire pit. We made sure to leave as much fat on the hog while skinning it. The pit was more of a raised ring using corrugated metal panels we found around the house. Fire wood was taken from the same area. For a rack we used the greenest saplings we could find. After the wood burned down to a thick bed of coals we laid the pig face down on the saplings and covered him with Banana leaves and let him cook. We left the feet on the pig so that we would have handles with which to flip him over with and to remove him from the pit when done. Have no idea if he was fully cooked but no one got sick so I guess it was cooked enough. Salt and pepper came from the C rats and of course most of us had a bottle of Tabasco for flavoring. The best meal any of us had while in Nam.
 
What has been said about covering with banana leaves is good for keeping in moisture, but I doubt you can get any locally. Funny that was mentioned because I know where I can get some. There is some people that came from South America to here in Texas and they opened a Tamale store and this is how they cook their tamales. (wrapped in banana leaves) But, like Tbone said, cover the hog with Foil at the end. Yes the hog will continue to cook a little more, and it will dry out. The foil helps to keep moisture in. One of those red temp probes is your best friend when cooking meats. Especially when cooking for larger parties of people. (You want them to stay your friends)
I never have burned off the hair, but stuck it in boiling water.
The only problem with this whole thing is the temperature is already hot here.(in TX) Meat can spoil quickly. So it helps if you have some friends to help with this, and get the hog dressed quick and keep it cool till ready with everything. Good Luck this sounds fun ,work, but fun.
 
Thanks for the input fellas, all these tips will help....

The Banana leaves has been one of the hang ups, but research is saying that a damp burlap sack can achieve the same results (or close to). Does that sound accurate to you all?
 
Originally Posted By: BocephussThanks for the input fellas, all these tips will help....

The Banana leaves has been one of the hang ups, but research is saying that a damp burlap sack can achieve the same results (or close to). Does that sound accurate to you all?




Yes, but i have a friend that let the burlap get dry and burned on.. The meat tasted like burlap smells.

It's why i we cook in a covered hole with the fire on top. closing it up and adding the heat to the top cooks it faster, and keeps the moisture in.
http://www.lacajachina.com/la_caja_china_roasting_box_s/1.htm?gclid=CNOP-a6Fw9QCFUKUaQodrTsKFA
 
We used to do one about ever year but nobody has in a long time. We did the last a lot like Tbone said but we wrap ours in the thick aluminum foil At the start. Boy it was good i miss those days! Last year i bought a large hog and had it butchered. I still have a couple of loins that are cut in half. I have been thinking about thawing one out and putting it in the ground to cook. Never done that or heard of it but it would have to be good.
 
I am not sure why they were scalding and scraping that hog before they gutted it.
confused.gif


I remember seeing my grandpa scrape a hog way back. They laid it on a big table and had some old style tea kettles that had the water heated and they just poured the hog water on an area and scraped it as they went until it was all done.

Similar to this:

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This is they way I would probably do it.

I don't remember the details, but I remember them talking about having the temperature just right so you didn't "set the hair".

This method would be a lot easier than heating up a 55 gallon barrel of water.
 
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Originally Posted By: YellowhammerI am not sure why they were scalding and scraping that hog before they gutted it.
confused.gif



I was thinking the same thing. That just seems like a way to ruin the taste. Not to mention the time that you would waste waiting for the water to warm up. If i am eating it, i want the guts out, and to clean it as best i can as soon as i can after killing it.

I have friends that hunt Elk, and none of the rest of us will eat that friends elk. He shoots it, and loads it, then will help others do the same. He doesn't get to cleaning for a few hours and then when he does, he will hang it at camp with the hide on for a day or two. Then he quarters it down and takes it to the butcher. It's always gamey.

When i go, as soon as it's down, i have have my friend go get the truck and i start gutting it on the spot. When the truck gets there, it's being hoisted up and rinsed out as i skin it and then quarter it and put in game bags. I then toss everything back in the truck, and head for the store to get ICE and then drive the 45 min to the butcher where i pay to have it hang for 4 days. Usually the time between shooting and in the butchers cooler is under 2 hours. Mine never tastes gamey and my friends are happy to eat it.

Prep is key to helping make anything taste good.
 
Maybe because they already have the water hot before they kill it?

Either way, I think I like the gut first option, and then pour the water on.
 
the only reason to scald and scrape the hide before gutting is to keep contaminents out of the body cavity. If your doing a farm raised hog thats fine just make sure your waters is up to temp before you shoot it. If its a wild hog thats been shot i would treat it like any other game animal and gut it an skin it right away so it cools, leaving as much fat on as possible. if its lean you can always inject it with a marinade so it stays moist. One last thing make sure it gets up to at least 160 degrees keeping the thermometer away from bone.
 
Domestic hogs are scalded and scraped before gutting. Keeps cavity clean and makes the job easier. Keeps scalding water from starting to cook inside the cavity. Don't get water too hot or it will set the hair and make it harder to scrape off. We built a fire under a metal bath tub to dip hog in on one side, then set out and scrape. Roll rinse repeat for other side. Straight razor for touchup. Can use towel or burlap to hold water on harder areas also. I think Uncle Tommy kept water around 160-170. We had to scald and scrape the hogs going into the freezer also, but I never understood why since we skinned them to cut up. Old folks.

I hate scraping hogs so I have skinned mine for years.

I may try the torch method on one soon for the pit. I already pressure wash before skinning.The washer should remove singed hair ok.

The hide keeps moisture in the meat on a pit. Skinned pork needs to be cooked a while to allow flavoring from smoke, then wrapped in foil to prevent drying out. Those big foil pans work well. It can be opened on the pit at the end while resting to add a little more smoke flavor.

17freak, i have no doubt y'all enjoyed your pork! I will add that with a properly cooked pig on a pit the legs will pull out. We check for done by twisting the bone in the hams. When it will spin, the meat is cooked to the bone.
Remember that the purpose of pit cooking is to cook slowly at less than 212 degrees,(usually 170-180), allowing the meat to come to temp without drying out, and to allow connective tissue to break down . A hog cooked like this will not require a knife, hence the term pig-picking referring to folks standing around a pit pulling meat with just their fingers.

FYI My family used above ground pits fired by shovel from a burn barrel with hardwood coals. We pit cooked 20 every Christmas and sold them to folks for parties, and usually 10 for July 4th.

Hope you enjoy your hunt and the cookout!
 
[qu

FYI My family used above ground pits fired by shovel from a burn barrel with hardwood coals. We pit cooked 20 every Christmas and sold them to folks for parties, and usually 10 for July 4th.

Hop [/quote]
I bet it was a lot nicer cooking in December than July.
 
atd,

You're absolutely right!
Sitting there for 7-8 hours firing a pit in July, even at night, and you don't even want a sandwich when its done. We ran a batch of ten on Dec23 and Dec24, but only one batch July3. Less demand then and I don't think Daddy could have made us run a second batch anyway. Smoke,skeeters, heat... might be the only day of the year that a salad looked better than a bbq sandwich!
 
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