Whole Hog Cook

I helped do one last summer. I was only partially involved, so I can only offer a few thing. The cook was a young woman chef. Her boy friend brought the fresh carcass from his farm, and she enlisted a couple of guys at the party to help. It was a wedding party, and she was both a bridesmaid, and cooking for 200, so things were pretty hectic,

She had a big re-bar frame, and 2 wire mesh layers, one already attached to the frame. Looked like it had seen repeated use, and frankly, was not in great condition. They just stacked blocks, I think 4 courses high. I recall she had problems splitting the carcass, and getting it to lay flat. She had forgotten some of her equipment, and only had a small cleaver, and a standard kitchen knife from the party hosts.. I believe the hog was 1st placed skin side down, and sandwiched between the wire mesh layers.

I think she had at least 2 large bags of Kingsford, and started piles going in the 4 corners of the pit. The piles weren't all that large. maybe less than 2 cement blocks high. Don't recall what they placed on top, but the stack of blocks was set up so that 4 corner blocks could be pulled out, and more briquettes placed in. Refueling was done at least 3 times during the approx. 18 hour cook. Sometime during the night, the hog was flipped.

About 2 hours before pulling the meat, she made up a huge bowl, couple of gallons, of a garlic mojito sauce. The hog was flipped back skin side down. Fairly awkward, as the wires holding the frame together had become somewhat loose. More charcoal was added, and the whole thing left to finish.

Unfortunately, timing proved a little off. Most of her prep crew were just other guests, who had been partying for a day, had no knife or other kitchen skills. So most of the sauce cooked away, and some of the skin was burnt.

But on the whole, most of the carcass was in good shape. Pulled easily. Because some of the guests were likely to be finicky, she had almost all the fat removed, and didn't add much in the way of spices. Myself and BIL were both a little sad about that.

Quick 3 minute video on youtube, "Texas BBQ: whole pig". Gives a pretty good look at how to put together a cinder block pit, from the Texas A&M barbecue class. I sure wish I had taken such a useful class in college!

I have seen Aaron Franklin's video on PBS TV but I only see the 30 second promo on youtube.

Steven Raichlen's new book Project Smoke has detailed plans on how to build a pit. 

I might be wrong but I think @Biggreenpharmacist cooked a whole one he killed. Maybe not though.

Far as  know, which isn't much,  75 pounds is pretty small. Not a piglet, and not a market sized hog. The one I worked on was 175+, kinda free range and not so fat. My guess is that  75 lbs is a breakfast to dinner cook in a pit, assuming the lump is going strong when the pig goes on.