OT - Whole pig on a cross

cmclean

Last week @ccrocke9 and I had the chance to cook a whole pig for work for our new website launch.  So naturally we found the most ridiculous way we could cook it and went for it.

We picked up a 120 LB pig from home place pastures in Como MS, and man she was a beauty.  She didn't fit in the cooler so we drove her down the road hoofs up sticking out the tailgate.  We got some funny looks, but we knew in the end it would be worth it.

We dressed it nothing but salt and got a roaring fire going.  Tied her down to the cross with some wire and set up the cross.  We removed some of the skin around the hams. We hung the cross over the fire  around 4 pm and let it cook overnight for 18 hours.  We stayed up all night throwing oak logs on the fire to keep it going.  It was about 11 degrees so weller bourbon was a must.  

We sprayed in every hour or so with some apple juice and vinegar for color and moisture.  Around 8 am we flipped the pig and attempted to crisp the pig skins, but we failed at that.  It did help cook some of the interior meat of the pig though. 

Pulled it around 10 am and shredded most of it and set it by the fire to stay warm until lunch time.  In total we fed about 50 people with some chili on the side.  

We tried to make a time lapse video of the cook with a go pro but the battery didn't make it.

It was our first time cooking on an asado cross like this and it was an experience we will never forget.  Some tips for anyone trying to replicate this that we learned along the way.
- Use a reflective back to radiate heat on both sides of the pig.
- you will need a whole truck bed plus of wood
- pick a warm weekend
- bring lots of bourbon
- if you let a grease fire it will engulf the entire pig
- the bark from the salt only rub was amazing

mEGG_My_Day

That's an awesome cook!! It looks tasty.

ccrocke9

The amount of bourbon and layers of clothing recommended cannot be overstated on this one. Has anyone else done a cook like this? Would love to hear some similar experiences or some suggestions on what we should do different next go around as it was truly something very unique.

saluki2007

Great job guys.  That is definitely a cook for the ages.

Carolina Q

Looks like a lot of fun and a great cook! Always wanted to, but haven't. Seen a few pics of Mallmann though.

mEGG_My_Day

Those pigs have been 'Blood Eagled'.  

NPHuskerFL

Not nearly enough pics
Looks like a great shindig. 

WeberWho

Beautiful 

Zeiger88

Nice alcohol fire and pig

caliking

Awesome cook!! 

Copious volumes of bourbon are definitely needed for a cook like that. We (@20stone and I)  cooked a goat asado-style at the last Brisket Camp. It also travelled "feet up" in the back of a truck

Re: a wall for reflecting the heat, the pit designed by 20stone for our cook was a tallish vertical cinder block wall with the heat reflecting off it towards the goat. Placing the animal between the fire and a reflecting wall sounds like a good idea, as both sides of the animal would cook at the same time.

jeffwit

Where’d you get the cross?

lkapigian

Asador Pig Very Cool

bgebrent

Great cook man. 

Teefus

Kind of a creepy visual, but I'l bet it tasted good. I saw this done with whole goats on a Food Network show. It was equally creepy looking. Kind of like a medieval sacrifice less the chanting and incantations. Of course if you have enough bourbon......

six_egg

@cmclean Looks so fun. I would have had a blast doing this. I would have had to stop by Como Steak house and got a nice steak for the night. I am more a tequila guy but bourbon would have been nice too.

cmclean

NPHuskerFL said:

Not nearly enough pics
Looks like a great shindig. 

Don't worry I have some more we can post.  Just tried to keep the initial post from being too long

cmclean

Teefus said:

Kind of a creepy visual, but I'l bet it tasted good. I saw this done with whole goats on a Food Network show. It was equally creepy looking. Kind of like a medieval sacrifice less the chanting and incantations. Of course if you have enough bourbon......

If singing colder weather by ZBB at 3am counts as chanting we are guilty as charged

ccrocke9

jeffwit said:

Where’d you get the cross?

For sake of not getting kicked off this great website where we get most of our ideas for new cooks I can't post a link but this is actually a sample we sell on the website we were launching at our company. You can message @cmclean or I and we can send it to you. 

ccrocke9

six_egg said:

@cmclean Looks so fun. I would have had a blast doing this. I would have had to stop by Como Steak house and got a nice steak for the night. I am more a tequila guy but bourbon would have been nice too.

That was definitely in the plans had they been open when we were picking up the hog, next time we will definitely work that into the schematics of the cook for good measure no doubt.

stv8r

idk but not feeling this one.   no disrespect intended

mEGG_My_Day

six_egg said:

@cmclean Looks so fun. I would have had a blast doing this. I would have had to stop by Como Steak house and got a nice steak for the night. I am more a tequila guy but bourbon would have been nice too.

I haven't thought of Como Steak house in years. It's a really fun place and an easy drive from my house in Memphis.  I may have to plan a short road trip.