We have a Holy Day celebration coming up in October.
I've been given the green light by both the wife and mother-in-law to do a hog roast. So I think I'm going to do it: cook a whole hog.
School me on the ins and out of cooking a whole whole hog. I've read the Amazing Ribs page on whole hog. I've watched Franklin's video on whole hog more times than I can count. I've trolled all the various barbecue forums looking for every insight I can glean on cooking a whole hog.
Here's what I think I want to do:
Cook it over direct coals in a temporary cinder block pit, Carolina style.
Looking at about a 75lb pig, which I think should feed 30-40 people. (I will also probably cook a couple of briskets, just in case the hog doesn't turn out, or we get a bunch more people that show up).
Going to brine it for about ~24 hours before it goes on the pit.
Not sure if I want to use real wood burned down to coals, or use hardwood lump charcoal with wood chunks/mini splits for this. Which do you think is the better way to go?
Assuming I get a ~75lb pig, how big of a cooler do I need to brine it? Aaron Franklin used a 250qt Yeti, which is about 48" long interior. Is that about right? Will a75lb pig fit in a smaller cooler?
The Amazing Ribs page says that a 75lb pig should take about 9 hours to cook. Aaron Franklin's video said it took about 18 hours for a 70lb pig. Which do you think is a more accurate cook time?
Best brine and rub recipe for whole hog?
I'm on the fence about whether or not to inject.
What else do I need to know?
I've been given the green light by both the wife and mother-in-law to do a hog roast. So I think I'm going to do it: cook a whole hog.
School me on the ins and out of cooking a whole whole hog. I've read the Amazing Ribs page on whole hog. I've watched Franklin's video on whole hog more times than I can count. I've trolled all the various barbecue forums looking for every insight I can glean on cooking a whole hog.
Here's what I think I want to do:
Cook it over direct coals in a temporary cinder block pit, Carolina style.
Looking at about a 75lb pig, which I think should feed 30-40 people. (I will also probably cook a couple of briskets, just in case the hog doesn't turn out, or we get a bunch more people that show up).
Going to brine it for about ~24 hours before it goes on the pit.
Not sure if I want to use real wood burned down to coals, or use hardwood lump charcoal with wood chunks/mini splits for this. Which do you think is the better way to go?
Assuming I get a ~75lb pig, how big of a cooler do I need to brine it? Aaron Franklin used a 250qt Yeti, which is about 48" long interior. Is that about right? Will a75lb pig fit in a smaller cooler?
The Amazing Ribs page says that a 75lb pig should take about 9 hours to cook. Aaron Franklin's video said it took about 18 hours for a 70lb pig. Which do you think is a more accurate cook time?
Best brine and rub recipe for whole hog?
I'm on the fence about whether or not to inject.
What else do I need to know?
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