First timer for whole pig and caja China Box cooker

[mballi3011]

Well here we go with something new and something old and something cold.  I have a 36.6lb whole pig to cook. I wanted try to learn how to use this new cooker before I do an on-site 60lb pig with 50-60 people st airing at me. So here we go with some Q-view.



Now this is in the mojo marinade. I have some orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice,then added some pieces of oranges, pineapple, lemons, limes, garlic cloves, oregano, thyme, basil,and I think that's all.



Now I'm letting the pig get more to room temp and waiting for the cooker to heat up. I salted the skin trying dry it out so it will crisp up later.



Now it rubbed and ready for the cooker.



In the cooker awaiting some heat.



The new cooker



OK Little burnt but that's why I'm practicing now. So the first pieces pulled off for testing sure taste good. Now flip the pig and let's crisp up some skin. So here the pig skin all crispy and tasty too.



So I learned a lot and next time I will not build such a high heat in the beginning. Maybe it was the pure lump charcoal I hear it burns hotter. So all in all a good learning experience and some good eats to.



I couldn't resist this one. I hear the cheeks meat is good and the ears are for the dog right.  

 

[miamirick]

now thats some sweet looking pig             you got meat for the week covered

heres your next one

 

[harleysmoker]

Nice job, been looking at them cookers and thought about getting one.
 

 

[solaryellow]

Looks great Mark!

 

[johnnie walker]

It looks like it turned out pretty tasty to me! Thanks for the Qveiw on your maiden voyage with the cooker.

So lets see if I have this right on these cookers. The pig goes in the tray (pan), then in the box. Put the lid on, and the charcoal goes on the lid? Is that how these work?

 

[scarbelly]

Looks good Mark - How did you like the cooker?

 

[smokinhusker]

Looks outstanding! Yep the cheek meat is awesome. In Nebraska they run the cheek meat through a tenderizer and call them pork cutlets....oh so good just floured and fried!

 

[mballi3011]

Yes that's all it takes Johnnie. Now it is simple and easy too. I learned a lot as I said. I gonna start out with less charcoal in the beginning so I don't burn the pig again. The cheek meat was good but I liked the hams better to tell you the truth. Now the tongue is alittle tasty to. You really can't forget the skin it was also really good to. Crispy and taste like pork home made potato chips. So all an all get you a whole pig and cook one yum yum YUMMY........ 

 

[moikel]

Sweet

.Cooker looks interesting ,nothing like them down here unless they are homemade in somebodies backyard .Do they cost much?Looks like a great addition to the cooking arsenal.

Its more spit roast down here or woodfired oven or if you have Polynesian friends pit cooking . Lucky to find dry firewood at present!

 

[ac45acp]

wow, looks good! you forgot the apple in the mouth. the ears can be used for making souse. don't forget the rooter, some good stuff there. brains and scrambled eggs for breakfast. the rest of the head can be scraped clean, chopped and used in scrapple. then there is the eyeballs.  like the book says, from the rooter to the tooter.

tony
 

 

[shoneyboy]

  Mballi3011, If you cover it with foil at the beginning you will not have a problem with burnt pieces….I would keep the fire as hot as possible, at least that is what I have done on the test runs with the ones I have built….I have built many of these Cajun microwaves over the years and I always seem to get an invite when they are going to cook on it for the 1[sup]st[/sup] time …..(show me how to use it ShoneyBoy) it always seems like I’ll get 2-3-5 people wanting one when they see one in action and especially after they have tasted the food it produces, But once we start talking money, they always seem to back away….Funny like that……They will do some fantastic cooking and some of the most tender meat you will ever eat…….If you have room try this….Smoke the meat (on a smoker) for a while before you put it in the microwave…..It will give it a whole different taste….really good if you ask me, but it will take up a lot of room doing a whole pig......

 

[1finder]

Cuban style cooker, we made mobile grate/grilling rack for utilizing the charcoal heat source.
You can also add other items in box and remove when you turn pig rack over, try throwing some
Briquettes w/ the lump burns longer instead of hotter like lump.
Not sure which size you have but do not max out the pig size they reccomend.
Have been playing with this for 5yrs.

Good luck

 

[mballi3011]

Yea Shoney I was thinking of building one myself but the people I'm cooking for on the 22 bought this one. I could build one better and cheaper too. It worked fine but as you can see it burned the pig pretty darn quick to. I'll try the foil trick on the next one. I have a smoke pistol coming this week and I'll put a stack in the other side of the box for that smoky flavor. This box is built so so cheaply it almost bother me not to say something to the company. Maybe I will say something to the company. I have always been good at bitching. It should be built better for 200.00 + shipping.

 

[johnnie walker]

Thanks, Mark! I might have to check into one of these.

 

[shoneyboy]

Mballi3011, I have wanted to look at one of them up close for a while now. Would you do me a favor ? Would see if a magnet will stick to that inner liner??? I have been wondering about it for a while….Thanks ShoneyBoy……

 

[africanmeat]

Mark it looks amazing ,this is a huge  job ,

 

[mballi3011]

Yes shoney a magnet will stick cause it's made of thin tin. This box is made very cheaply specially for the 200.00 bucks it cost. You can build one pretty darn easy if you have the slightest building skills. It's a 2'x4' box I would make it out of 3/4" plywood instead of the 5/8" that this thing is built with. Then just line it with tin or aluminum (that's the 275.00 model) then just make you a couple of tin trays one for ashes and the other for the pig juices. Now all you will need is a expanded metal tray for the charcoal. Easy for you to build for yourself. I wish I would have built this one instead of buying one. If you need anything else Shoney let me know close up pictures or if you have any questions. Just pm me.

Mark

 

[shoneyboy]

Mark, that’s what I thought for the price. The one's I make start off at double that price, but I'm using stainless steel for the liner. I'm not telling you this just to scare you or am I trying to drum up work, but I personally would have my concerns with cooking in it due to it having a galvanized liner. I’m not going to go into depth about the whole discussion of cooking with galvanized materials, there are many discussions that the can search on this site alone, But I have read and  been a part of many post about having galvanized material around the food that we eat and how bad it can be for you. I will say thought (being a Sheet Metal master for 20+ years now), would have real concerns about cooking in any vessel that is lined with galvanized sheet metal….here is a link to just 1 of many discussions that I read……http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/87787/can-you-use-galvinized-metal-inside-your-smoker ……..But that is just my 2 cents……ShoneyBoy