Smoking whole pig

[STARSIX]

Plan on smoking whole pig this weekend. It is cleaned and scraped skin on wieghs about 40 lbs, not sure if i need to put a rub on it. any suggestions.

 

[backhoeboogie]

We always cut them into 6 pieces and rotate pieces around on the smoker. It just makes it easier. 350 degrees at first and then down to about 200 to 250 for hours.

If I were going to do whole one, I'd hold the temp down bit lower and do it slow.

 

[dun]

The only thing I remember from we did it way too many years ago was that we sewed 2 buttons together in the middle of each ear to keep them from puffing up and seperating.

 

[Jim62]

Smoking a pig and smoking a turkey present pretty much the same problem.

It's hard to get them buggers lit........

 

[Auburn_Ag]

Put Tony's Creole Seasoning on the inside of the body cavity. It wont do you any good putting it on the out side on the skin. Every now and then wet it with a mixture of
Apple juice
apple cider vinegar
and salt.
A one gal sprayer from Lowes works good to do this with.

just remember low and and slow. If i can give you some advice, put the pig on and after you get it started and go do something else, rake leave, or check cows and then come back and check it. Try not to mother hen it to death. That way you wont be trying to open the door and check on it and let out the heat.

By the way how are you cooking this? do you have a cooker or open pit or???

 

[STARSIX]

Cooking on a smoker, thanks for the advice, i wasn't sure what to do on the inside . On ribs i use a mixture of brown sugar and vinegar to spray on it .

 

[flaboy]

Put Tony's Creole Seasoning on the inside of the body cavity. It wont do you any good putting it on the out side on the skin. Every now and then wet it with a mixture of
Apple juice
apple cider vinegar
and salt.
A one gal sprayer from Lowes works good to do this with.

just remember low and and slow. If i can give you some advice, put the pig on and after you get it started and go do something else, rake leave, or check cows and then come back and check it. Try not to mother hen it to death. That way you wont be trying to open the door and check on it and let out the heat.

By the way how are you cooking this? do you have a cooker or open pit or???

His advice is right on in my book. I would also cover the ears with tin foil unless you like the burned ear look when ya pull it out.

 

[Lammie]

Wouldn't that be hard to roll?

 

[Bobaroni]

I think you are referring to roasting and not smoking. We have roasted lots of them just over a hole dug in the ground. I have seen the pig split down the middle and splayed between two wire racks and turned once in a while. I have seen spits used (hawaiian style) and both motorized and manual rotation. Either way the biggest deal is flare ups from the coal bed. Seasonings and rubs tend to be somewhat personalized but the outside does need a baste to hold down excessive charring and apple cider does work well. I have see the cavity stuffed with peeled oranges.
Smoking is done at temps of 180 to 225 degrees and done properly it takes at least 48 hours if done whole. I have smoked them for a week but I built a pretty cool little smokehouse with a outside fire pit.
Hog roast are great fun and as beverages are consumed things get going really good. Rule 1 for hog roasts---every part of it gets eaten. The ears definately will burn --most the time we wrap them with a thick foil covering. The eyes are eaten whole and usually won in a game of chance. In fact the head is not much more than a skull when all is done. I tell you though some of the best times I have ever had were at a well planned hog roast. A great social event so have fun and pig out.