Whole Hog for family reunion

[cinnamonkc]

The family wanted a whole hog for the family reunion. Due to a mixup with the butchers wife, he ended up a lot larger than I anticipated, so I split him in half. After a lovely couple of days at the spa, I did a Cuban style above ground smoker and smoked over apple and oak wood. I kept the largest amount of heat under the hip and butt so it’s not to overdrive the loin and rib area. What you don’t see here, as I used metal roofing as a canopy over the top of him while he smoked.Turned out great, now I just have to figure out what to do with the other half. LOL.

 

[kilo charlie]

Dang! That's awesome!

Smoke up the other half and stock up the freezer !

 

[JLinza]

Looks like a great cook

 

[Gonna Smoke]

That's a nice cook...

 

[ajbert]

Looks great to me, and I echo do the same with the other half.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Heck yeah! I've done a few whole hogs in a similar fashion for cooker style, Might be posted somewhere on here. My cinderblock pit was about 5ftx7ft and 3 bricks high then I made a bridge in each opposing corner the where there was no cinderblock, lid was some 3/4in plywood sheets that got covered in foil. The size gave me the ability to not have coals directly underneath and more flexibility on placement, kind of like you I went a little heavier on the back side, the holes I could use for draft control and/or loading coals. First year I did charcoal (cost around $300) the next few years I cut and split oak and ash at the farm then took a 55gal drum, cut the top off, drill holes in various places for heavy rebar and an access hole in the bottom. The drum would get lit and we would continuously feed wood chunks and let them burn to coals and as you throw a couple new chunks in it knocks the coals loose to the bottom or hit them with a long handle shovel to break them up (pro tip-have a leaf blower to blow the ash from the bottom and out the top which also creates a heck of a flame out the top)