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Whole Piglet cook on Christmas day

Tim (Watkinsville)
Tim (Watkinsville) Posts: 106
edited December 2011 in EggHead Forum
As mentioned earlier, I did cook a 21 pound piglet on my XL. I cook it indirect at 250. The pig went on the Egg at 0800. I sprayed it down with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, apple juice, and kosher salt. I sprayed it down every hour until I took it off at 4 PM. After an hour sitting on the counter inside, I then pulled the meat and piled it on a big cookie sheet. I think it was 9 to 10 pounds of mixed pulled pork. (I forgot to mention that I had hickory chunks throughout the lump so it was in hickory smoke the whole time.

This was the best, bar none, barbecue I have produced to date. Much better than the butts I do, which are plenty good in their own right. I think the mixture of meats, (butt, ham, rib, belly) is the key to this style of barbecue. I'll do this cook again and maybe before next Xmas.
Hats off to Buckeyegger who got me going on a supplier of piglets! 
Watkinsville, Ga   XL, Medium

Comments

  • Impressive.  Would love to try that combination of mixed meat.
    Not sure if I could cook a whole one like that though, it looks too much like my dog!
    Packerland, Wisconsin

  • VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    LET'S EAT
  • Impressive.  Would love to try that combination of mixed meat.
    Not sure if I could cook a whole one like that though, it looks too much like my dog!
    +1

    Lol, First thing I thought of was my dog! 

    Cool cook though.
    LBGE, Weber OTG w/ Rotisserie, Weber Genesis S-330, Chargriller Duo, AR-15, AK-47
  • 1+ on the cooked dog. Bet it was tasty, but I am the only one at my house who would eat it if they saw it before it was pulled!  I wouldn't even let them look at the dry-aged prime rib until after it was cooked!
    TFOUTCH Algood, Tennessee
  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    What was the cost like, if you don't mind me asking?
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
  • joe@bge
    joe@bge Posts: 394
    What was the cost like, if you don't mind me asking?
    + 1  Curious too - I am getting ready to do pulled pork for New Year's, but will most likely just opt for a 7-10lb butt.   :@)
  • The pics are great, thanks for sharing. Do you think one will fit on a large egg?

  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,429
    Was the skin edible after the cook?  I've heard that's the best part...
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    Tim - That looks awesome.  I asked my butcher a few months back about possibly ordering a baby pig and price.  He said it would cost around $200 for 20lder and would actually be cheaper if I bought a 60 pounder because the demand for piglets was so great (he may have been full of it).  Turned me away until I saw this.  It looks like it might have been flipped in the second pic, yes or no?  Would love to try one.     
  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    I have heard that the smaller ones are more in demand and cost more per pound than the larger ones ...
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
  •  With tax the piglet cost a little over 80 dollars. It was well worth it.
    I did flip it over about half way through the cook, I wanted to make sure the skin on both sides had a nice smoke color to it.
    The skin was excellent, I chopped some of it up in small pieces and mixed it in with the meat.
     I think a 20-25 pound piglet would fit on a large, it would be tight but I think you could do it. 
     Both of my sons were home for the holidays, one has a cat, the other has a dog. While I was working on the pig in the kitchen, I had two pets intensely interested in what I was doing. Each got a pig ear and some fat/meat scraps!


    Watkinsville, Ga   XL, Medium
  • Tater
    Tater Posts: 16
    Tim,

    Looks like you did a great job....looks like you got to cook everything....even the squeal!
    Always having fun with the BGE!
  • Tim,
    That is really an impressive cook.  Thanks for the pictures and the post.  
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    You had to pay tax on meat?
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
  • Tim,

    I see from an older post you live in GA. Where did you end up getting the piglet? Was it frozen or fresh? Thanks in advance
  •  The piglet was frozen solid. It was in a heavy plastic bag inside a cardboard box. I let it defrost in the refrigerator for 5 days prior to cooking it.
    I bought it at:


    Clarkston Thriftown
    (404) 296 6493
    926 Montreal Rd
    Clarkston, GA 30021

    Its about 4 miles or so from the Dekalb Farmers Market if you know where that is.

    And for Squeezy, we pay taxes on groceries here in Georgia. 


    Watkinsville, Ga   XL, Medium
  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102

    I didn't know that ... here in Ontario, it is the only thing that isn't taxed, that being said, all convenience, precooked and restuarant food is taxed.

    What is the rate on food and is it the same for sales tax on other goods?

    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
  • Its 4% on groceries and 7% over all on other items. For awhile there we had tax relief on all non-prepared food items, 0%,  but the economy and crooked politicians took care of that. Sorry about being redundant, I should have just said politicians, around here, the crooked is assumed.





    Watkinsville, Ga   XL, Medium
  • rodent
    rodent Posts: 106
    LOL. However, we pay 14% on nearly everything but most grocery items.
  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102

    We use to have a 7% sales tax on goods, then they added an 8% GST (goods& services tax) or as I call it Gouge & Screw Tax. Example; car repairs in the past was just tax on the parts, now we pay tax on the mecahics labor. Due to voter unrest, the GST was dropped in increments to 6%.

    Now they have rolled them together and call it HST (harmonized sales tax) or as I call it, the Horse **** Tax!

    They extended it to many items that had been exempt ... gouging bastages!

     

    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    So I spoke to my new butcher today (much better than the last one) and he told me current pricing is about $9 per pound for small piglets and drops off tremendously as the pig gets bigger (100 lber is running about 1.50-1.80 pound now).  He said prices change all the time, so depending on when I want to get on the price could be much better (I assume with the holidays the price is more).  His pig/piglets come in fresh (not frozen).  I want to smoke one for my sons birthday in March, so will be looking to possibly do it then and Tim I will be sure to hit you up for pointers the closer I get (if you please).  
  • Absolutely. I'd be glad to advise, although I am no expert, only having cook that one piglet. It's a very easy cook I can assure you.
    Watkinsville, Ga   XL, Medium