THE PROCESS

Warning:  These pictures may be disturbing to some viewers.  

     Ever have those moments in life where you challenge yourself to do something that some people view as outrageous?  I'm not talking about jumping out of airplanes or bungee jumping off bridges.  I'm thinking of feats in the kitchen (or backyard) that few will conquer.  After much research and contemplation, I decided I was going to roast a pig back in 2007.  5 years and 4 pigs later, I think we have THE PROCESS down.  

     Below are some pictures from this past weekend's pig roast.  My hope is these will challenge you to think outside the box and try something new this week.  Whether it be another culture's cuisine or your neighbor's nachos, get out there and eat something you might usually pass up!       

the tools

43 pound pig.  note: you have to cut the backbone in order for the pigs to lay flat

cutting the backbone.  Place the knife on the vertebrae and gently hit it with the hammer.  Follow this all the way down the spine. 

For this pig, I used a mango/habañero injection 

Be sure to inject this stuff all up inside the pig

post injection, I used a garlic/oregano/cumin/salt/pepper rub to seal in the juices

      After your pig has been injected and rubbed down, give it some time to soak up all the flavors.  My pig sat in an ice-chest on top of some freezer packs for approximately 18 hours.  The freezer packs work really well because- unlike ice- when they melt, they do not get the pig wet and soggy.

     Our family celebrated Thanksgiving in Baton Rouge this year.  So we packed up the family van (pig and all) and made our way east.  My cousin Margaret cooked the food and it was good; just wish we had more!  It was a blessing to spend time with the relatives!

stuff...but no stuffing :(

       Once the family meal was over, my next set of business was upon me; ROAST THE PIG!  Pictures continue the story...

using the leftover rub, I created a basting sauce with mostly butter and some other secrets...

sorry for the dark pic, but here is our cinder block pit.  It has been adjusted over the years, but this seemed to work the best

Barton made me this cage to hold the pig while it cooked.  it eliminated the need for a grate and worked really well as a double sided grill top/holder

Coals underneath and coals on top.  we transferred the coals from the top to bottom while flipping the pig; every 2 hours on average.

this is the pig after 9 hours of roasting. We tried to get it out to the tailgate in one piece, but it completely fell apart.  Exactly what we set out to accomplish.

good job razorbacks...it was a true pig hunt!

Andrew, Barton and Me.  Pig head on a stick- Lord of the Flies style...this created quite a buzz!

      Overall, the pig was by far the best one we've cooked.  Weekend in a nut shell:  Thanksgiving celebration, successful pig roast, LSU dominated after a 14-0 start, celebrated Biscuit's birthday, watched a lot of football, and enjoyed the small things in life.

the weekend tired him out!

Happy Plates!