Spit Roasting a whole pig ?
Randall Krebs
a barbeque pit? How long will a 50 lb. pig take to cook.
How do I know if the fire is the right temperature? How
can I tell if the pig is done?
I've been told to leave skin, head, and hooves on. How do
I secure things so that they don't flop around as the spit
turns? Is it possible to rent automatic barbeque equipment
for such a purpose? Where would I look for open-pit spit
roasting equipment? My current plans are to weld up some
rebar to serve as the spit roaster and rotate it manually.
What preparation should be made before roasting begins?
Should I stuff the body cavity with anything? Is basting
necessary? What spices do I use and where do I put them?
randall.
--
Randall S. Krebs | "What if there were no hypothetical situations?"
(ran...@dsd.es.com) |
Evans & Sutherland | - Jeff Sauder Johns Hopkins University
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Scott Vance
wrote:
> Do you have any tips for someone roasting a whole pig over
> a barbeque pit? How long will a 50 lb. pig take to cook.
> How do I know if the fire is the right temperature? How
> can I tell if the pig is done?
It could take 4-8 hours depending on the fire. I would use a fairly low
fire.
I cooked several hogs in rented hog roasters while in forestry school. It
would take ~12 hours for 125-150 lb hogs. You just stay up all night and
drink alot of beers, plus you get the bacon in the morning since it is
usually done earlier. You can just use a meat thermometer to check it's
internal
temp. My friend has a double spit he uses for pigs, chickens and
goat(great
slow roasted with lotsa garlic). It's set up like so:
/\
/ \ < removable steel panels
/ \
/ \
| |
| o o |
steel box > | |
| | o - spits
|xx xx| x - lump wood charcoal
____________________
It has steel walls about 2' high by ~7' long by ~4' wide. The steel roof
panels
are removable. He uses lump charcoal he orders by the pallet load from
Kentucky
I believe and keeps the fire to the outside so it is not under the meat.
> I've been told to leave skin, head, and hooves on. How do
> I secure things so that they don't flop around as the spit
> turns? Is it possible to rent automatic barbeque equipment
> for such a purpose? Where would I look for open-pit spit
> roasting equipment? My current plans are to weld up some
> rebar to serve as the spit roaster and rotate it manually.
We always leave him whole. The spit rods have holes thru them and he uses
metal rods across thru the meat and then wraps him with butchers twine.
Around
here you can rent hog roasters. They are usually trailers some with spits
and
some just have grates(either will work).
> What preparation should be made before roasting begins?
> Should I stuff the body cavity with anything? Is basting
> necessary? What spices do I use and where do I put them?
My friend puts slits in the meat and inserts garlic and his spice mixture
and rubs the spice mixture in the cavity. I have also mixed up BBQ sauce
and beer
and injected it into the meat with a large needle. It real freaks people
out
because the meat looks pink even after its' cooked. Basting is probablly
not
needed as hogs usually have enough fat under the skin. But you can use
you're
own judgement as it cooks.
Good luck and enjoy
Scott Vance
sva...@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
Dick Francis
back which covered everything anyone would ever want to know on the
subject. I believe they also reprinted the article in their most recent
cookbook the name of which unfortunately escapes me. If I can find the
article in my files at home I'll follow up. Good luck.
Dick Francis
Drexel Atkinson CIRT
I roasted a two hundred pound pig some years ago. We did not have a
spit, but used a huge charcoal grill(4x8). We left the head/hoofs on...
apple in the mouth and all. It was a lot of work and took all night to
cook (12-14 hours). I guess we got lucky , because it came out great.
Ingrediants: 200lib pig on the hoof, 8 kegs beer, assesories, live music.
Made for one heck of a party....the problem was that I was so exhausted
(and inebriated) from cooking a pig all night that I didnt pay much
attention to the party.
drex
---------------
dat...@unm.edu
CIRT-ACS University of New Mexico "tight-lines"
----------------------------------
Dick Francis
cookbook. Unfortunately they don't reference the date of the magazine
article which had a couple of useful pictures as well. Here is what
they say....
The Pig: Order a pig 100 lbs or less. When the pig is delivered keep it
cool by draping it with sealed plastic bags filled with ice. A 100 lb
pig makes about 100 servings.
The firebed: You will need 20 lbs of sand, 14 concrete blocks, about
120 lbs of long burning charcoal, a garden rake, long handled tongs and
a large box of baking soda. Clear a level 3 x 5 foot area down to the
soil. Down the center of this clearing spread a 1.5 x 3 foot rectangle
of sand. Set the spit supports at the 3 ft ends of the rectangle and
adjust supports so that the spit is 20 to 24 inches above the ground.
Line the perimeter of the 3 x 5 foot area with the concrete blocks to
make a solid wall.
The spit: You need a spit that's 7 feet long with spit forks to keep
the pig from slipping on the spit and a means to turn the spit (suggest
motorized). (Sunset recommends checking the yellow pages for spit
rentals).
Spitting and tying pig: Allow at least 2 hours for spitting and tying.
First insert spit in mouth ond out tail of pig (This should be a team
effort). You need to guide spit along backbone and center the pig on
the spit. Next wire spine to spit. You will need 3 24" lengths of wire
such as baling wire (Make sure it is not galvanized or any other kind
of coated metal), an ice pick and pliers. With the ice pick make a hole
on each side of the spine at the middle of the back.Force the two ends
of one wire through the holes into the pig cavity. Twist wire ends
together over spit, securely uniting spit and spine. The spine curves
and may not actually touch spit. Position the two remaining wires about
12 inches away from the center wire on each side. Force the metal spit
forks firmly and securely into the thickest parts of the hind and
shoulder ends. Clamp or wire spit forks tightly to secure to spit. Use
double strands of heavy cotton string to tie front and rear legs to
spit. Make a string net over the rib loin sections to hold the skin in
place while it cooks. To do this suspend spit between two counters or
set it on spit supports so you can pass string under and around pig.
First tie string tightly at 3 inch intervals around body between front
and rear legs. then wrap strings at right angles to make 3 inch
squares. (I've seen some folks use ungalvanized chicken wire to do this
too) Once the pig is spitted and tied then position it on supports and
rotate it to maek sure the equipment works and the pig is balanced.
(adjust spit forks or tighten netting if necessary) A well balanced pig
that doesn't shift its weight on the spit is essential if the equipment
is motor operated. Remove pig and keep it cool while you start fire.
Roasting the pig: Pile 10 lbs of briquets at each end of the firebed
and ignite. When coals are ash covered and glowing hot (about 1 hour)
then set spitted pig on supports and rake coals into an even layer
underneath pig. Begin rotating motor operated spit or manually rotate
pig a quarter turn every 5 to 10 minutes. Continue rotating through out
cooking.
After about 1 hour when fat begins to drip, rake briquets from directly
under the pig to expose sand. (sand catches grease and reduces
flare-ups) Arrange coals so most are underneath the thickest parts of
pig with a 6-8" wide band along the sides of pig. To keep the skin from
charring, sprinkle any grease fires with baking soda to smother flames.
(A PKP fire extinquisher will work as well but it will effect the taste
of the skin ;-) ). About every 30 mins rake briquets to knock off ash.
Add 10 lbs of briquets every hour to maintain heat; make a single row
along sides and distribute balance at each end.
After about 10 hours the fat will cease dripping excessively; at this
point rake hot coals back beneath pig, concentrating heat under thighs
and shoulders. Internal temperature in thickest part of animal at bone
(inside thigh or neck section of shoulder) should be 140 deg F on a
meat thermometer; use a rapid reading thermometer to check temperature
in several places.
A spit cooked pig exposed to air often reaches only 140-150 deg F but
if cooking continues at this temperature for at least 1 hour the meat
is both safe and palatable to eat (the organism responsible for
trichonosis is destroyed when the internal temperature exceeds 137 deg
F and is held there for a few minutes) Cooking usally takes 10 to 12
hours though breezy or cool weather will slow it down.
If the pig is ready before the rest of the meal, rake coals from
beneath the pig so it will cease cooking but stay hot, keep hot on the
spit for up to an hour.
To serve, transfer spitted pig to a table topped with a "pig sized"
tray of heavy foil; pull out spit and cut off strings. Garnish pig with
parsley and don't forget the apple. Pull off skin; tear or carve meat
from bones. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Now all you need is a good recipe for barbecue sauce.....
Dick Francis
John De Armond
>Do you have any tips for someone roasting a whole pig over
>a barbeque pit? How long will a 50 lb. pig take to cook.
Figure 12-18 hours minimum, 24 hours if you have the time.
The pig is massive and the skin will easily burn so you must
cook slowly.
>How do I know if the fire is the right temperature?
If the skin is bubbling, it is too hot.
>How >can I tell if the pig is done?
The meat will start coming loose from the bone. Use a meat thermometer
and get all the meat to at least 160 degrees, preferably 170.
>I've been told to leave skin, head, and hooves on. How do
>I secure things so that they don't flop around as the spit
>turns?
Cotton string.
>Is it possible to rent automatic barbeque equipment
>for such a purpose?
Yes.
>Where would I look for open-pit spit
>roasting equipment?
Mainly that it looks durable and that you can get the pig several
feet above the fire so it won't burn.
>My current plans are to weld up some rebar to serve as the spit roaster
>and rotate it manually.
Ohh, glutton for punishment.
>What preparation should be made before roasting begins?
Build the fire :-) Assuming the pig is properly dressed, just cook it.
>Should I stuff the body cavity with anything?
No.
>Is basting necessary?
No, unless you want to add some flavor of some sort.
>What spices do I use and where do I put them?
It is common to rub the carcass down with ground mild red pepper
prior to cooking. Otherwise, generally nothing. I've done it both ways and
like them equally.
The first pig I ever cooked, I dug about a 4 ft deep pit. I bound the
pig to an old set of bed springs with steel wire. A large bed of coals
was established in the pit and the springs simply laid on the ground
over the pit. This technique works but it requires the thing to be
rotated every 15 minutes or so which meant someone had to stay up
all night.
Nowdays, unless someone requests otherwise, I just cook the pig in my
cooker. If they want a spit, I use something I made up from rebar. A
couple of pieces of rebar to drive in the ground with loops bent on the
other ends. A long bar with a couple of cross pieces welded to it to
hold the pig. A sproket on the end and a small gear- motor on the
ground bolted to a heavy piece of steel. I dig a pit about 18" or so to
shield the fire from wind. Set it up to turn about 1 RPM or so.
John
--
John De Armond, WD4OQC, Marietta, GA j...@dixie.com
Performance Engineering Magazine. Email to me published at my sole discretion
"Freedom's dirty little secret is that you're on your own." Clarence Thomas
ggru...@at.mcd.mot.com
|>
|> I roasted a two hundred pound pig some years ago. We did not have a
|> spit, but used a huge charcoal grill(4x8). We left the head/hoofs on...
|> apple in the mouth and all.
Now that I have your attention, I was wondering how you would spit roast
an animal that has a lower body fat ratio than a pig, say venison or the like?
--rg
Kimberly Lee Conroy
In a previous article, ggru...@at.mcd.mot.com () says:
>
>|>
>|> I roasted a two hundred pound pig some years ago. We did not have a
>|> spit, but used a huge charcoal grill(4x8). We left the head/hoofs on...
>|> apple in the mouth and all.
>[Misc. Stuff Deleted]
>
>Now that I have your attention, I was wondering how you would spit roast
>an animal that has a lower body fat ratio than a pig, say venison or the like?
>
>--rg
>
Whoever started the tittle of "spit roasting your wife" do you want to
grow up please! I don't think that need to tell you that wife abuse is a
serious problem. I realize that it was a joke but I don't think that it
is apropriate to joke about something so serious! Enough said!
--
Kimberly Lee Conroy * "When climbing a mountain, always
ao...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA * strive for the tall ones. The view is
* much better when you reach the
Live, Love, Laugh! ;) * top!" V.C. Andrews
Bill Shoemaker
>grow up please! I don't think that need to tell you that wife abuse is a
>serious problem. I realize that it was a joke but I don't think that it
>is apropriate to joke about something so serious! Enough said!
At the moment, I do not have a wife, but if I did, I would never, ever spit
roast her.
Cover her naked body with barbecue sauce, yes. Spit roast her, no.
Bill Shoemaker
rob...@atl.mcd.mot.com
|> >Whoever started the tittle of "spit roasting your wife" do you want to
|> >grow up please! I don't think that need to tell you that wife abuse is a
|> >serious problem. I realize that it was a joke but I don't think that it
|> >is apropriate to joke about something so serious! Enough said!
|>
Oh, isn't this the same newsgroup that contained a thread titled:
'Is eating pussycat legal in the U.S' for about 2 months?
If you had bothered to read the original thread, you'd have noticed that the
body contained NOTHING about spousal abuse. Get a life Net_Dweeb..
) ( ( (
This carries net ( ) () @@ ) (( (
flaming to new ( ( )( @@ ( )) ) (
levels ( ( ( ()( /---\ (()( (
_______ / ) ) )(@ !O O! )@@ ( ) ) )
< ____) ) ( ( )( ()@ \ o / (@@@@@ ( ()( )
/--| |( o| ( ) ) ((@@(@@ !o! @@@@(@@@@@)() (
| > \___| ) ( @)@@)@ /---\-/---\ )@@@@@()( )
| /---------+ (@@@@)@@@( // /-----\ \\ @@@)@@@@@( .
| | \ =========______/|@@@@@@@@@@@@@(@@@ // @ /---\ @ \\ @(@@@(@@@ . .
| \ \\=========------\|@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ O @@@ /-\ @@@ O @@(@@)@@ @ .
| \ \----+--\-))) @@@@@@@@@@ !! @@@@ % @@@@ !! @@)@@@ .. .
| |\______|_)))/ . @@@@@@ !! @@ /---\ @@ !! @@(@@@ @ . .
\__========== * . @@ /MM /\O O/\ MM\ @@@@@@@. .
| |-\ \ ( . @ !!! !! \-/ !! !!! @@@@@ .
| | \ \ ) . . @@@@ !! !! .(. @. .. .
| | \ \ ( / .( . \)). ( |O )( O! @@@@ . ) .
| | / / ) ( )). (( .) !! ((( !! @@ (. ((. . .
| | / / () )) )) .( ( ( ) ). ( !! )( !! ) (( )) ..
| |_< / ( ) ( ( ) ) (( ) )).) ((/ | ( | \( )) ((. ).
____<_____\\__\__(___)_))_((_(____))__(_(___.oooO_____Oooo.(_(_)_)((_
--rg
Randall Krebs
|>
|> Now that I have your attention, I was wondering how you would spit roast
|> an animal that has a lower body fat ratio than a pig, say venison or the like?
|>
|> --rg
If her body fat is so low, why not fatten her up for a few
months before spit-roasting her? (;^), of course!