[nicneufeld]

Wow two hours in looks fairly rare!!!!

Hope you gave it a bit more fire!     

[beerocd]

Wow two hours in looks fairly rare!!!!

Hope you gave it a bit more fire!     

Nah, it was as white as a computer guy when I started. It just started getting color when I snapped this, the blood under the skin faded and it started looking less like a CSI corpse and more like lunch.

A little over 5 hours total, it came out pretty good. Should have been closer to 4 hours. It was a 65 pound (hanging weight) pig, meaning it probably finished up in the low 40's once it was prepped.

I just didn't get the crispy skin at the end, otherwise it was awesome. I'll have to throw on some wood and get some real flames going for the last 20-30 minutes next time.

[capozzoli]

You can use a blow torch to crispy the skin. Either before or after cooking. Works great, just have to get the hand of it.

I am going to do a whole goat or pig for my daughters B-day in August. I want a goat the wife wants a pig. If I do the pig I am just going to get it from the Italian market pre cooked, they do it perfect every time.. I will have like 50-75 people this year so it will have to be a big one.

IF I do a goat gonna roast it myself, Ill use a halal goat.

How many people did that pig feed?

[nicneufeld]

You gonna slaughter the goat halal-style yourself?

Of course being a non-moslem, assuming you are a non-moslem, which is a safe bet from your openness towards roasting a whole pig, it might not strictly be halal when done by your hand, anyway.  Forget all the rules of that.

[beerocd]

You're supposed to get 2 pounds per guest. Not that they'll actually eat it, that's taking into account bones and stuff too. Unsure of whose rule that is exactly, but it would be embarrassing to run out of food at a party after you went to all that trouble. I only had 12 people, so there's lots of leftovers. Could have easily had a few more families over.

Look at my spit - it's a dual. The coal pan would sit in the middle. One fire, two animals. You can do a pig and a goat and everyone is happy. And I don't know what your Italian market is like; but I can't imagine it being as good as just pulled off the spit.

Blow torch would be cheating. Gotta learn to do it properly!


How much does your market charge per pound for the finished pig?

[capozzoli]

Nah, not gonna do it myself. Reeshnu my local halal butcher will do it. I think, unless they get whole goats in already slaughtered. Not sure. Hes a muslilim though, so no worries there.

If we do pig, all bets are off.

[beerocd]

You gonna slaughter the goat halal-style yourself?

Of course being a non-moslem, assuming you are a non-moslem, which is a safe bet from your openness towards roasting a whole pig, it might not strictly be halal when done by your hand, anyway.  Forget all the rules of that.

My understanding is it's all about the kill. So you can have two goats from the same farm, end up one halal - the other not depending on the processor. So the meat isn't any better one way or another - is it?

[capozzoli]

I think the wife said its under a dollar a lb.

Ah man, Im talking about THE Italian market. There is a place there called Canullis house of pork. Very fresh, their pigs are hot off the coals and delivered to your door. They have a van that is just for delivering whole roast pigs. They are perfect every time. I dont know how they do it, crispy skin, real juicy meat. I have been at some parties were the pig was ruined.

I wanted to get a whole pig live while my father in law is here, he knows how to break down and process a pig. We were going to do it old country style cure some of it up and cold smoke, make some klobasa, you know. Maybe next year.

I dont think the blow torch is cheating. The last pig I did was perfect in every way except for the skin. I dragged the oxy/ acetylene with the rose bud tip from the truck and fired the whole thing at about 12 inches away. Made the skin and layered fat underneath come up like bacon.  

[capozzoli]

You gonna slaughter the goat halal-style yourself?

Of course being a non-moslem, assuming you are a non-moslem, which is a safe bet from your openness towards roasting a whole pig, it might not strictly be halal when done by your hand, anyway.  Forget all the rules of that.

My understanding is it's all about the kill. So you can have two goats from the same farm, end up one halal - the other not depending on the processor. So the meat isn't any better one way or another - is it?

No better at all, its just a bunch of hugger mugger. Just that I have a butcher near by that has lots of good fresh stuff cheap. They dont care that I am an infidel and I dont care that they are Muslim, thats all.

Said that I can get a whole goat 75-8o lbs. for 50-60 dollars.

[beerocd]

I dont think the blow torch is cheating.

I didn't say I wouldn't eat it.   I'm just saying, for me to claim 100% success - I gotta pull it off utilizing the fire.
And man that's cheap out there. I paid a buck a pound, and then a processing fee. 65 pound pig, 45 processing...

[capozzoli]

Im sorry, I misunderstood the wife. She has it written down and it would be about a $3 per lb boned ans stuffed. Less if it is just roasted whole and even less if you roast it yourself.  Maybe I will roast it myself.

Ill post the exact price if I do it.

The problem getting it crispy perfect for me is on an open fire. To close and it burns to far away and it wont get the golden crispyness.

Guess you could lower it down close to the fire for the last hour or so. Have to keep and eye on it then so it doesn't burn.

I have heard people say you have to torch it before you roast it, both to remove all of the stray hairs and to crispy up the skin and lock in all of the juices. I actually think it is better to torch it after it is done.

We have a friend that does pigs in a converted heating oil tank. Makes like a big closed oven. They come out great. Not like Canulli's though. They baste theirs with garlic or something. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

http://www.cannulismeats.com/

Some good tips on their whole roast pig page.

[beerocd]

That's still a great price. $6/lb is the going rate here for a roasted pig.
I look at it like it's a game. Any way it comes out, I had fun. The closer I get to that perfection the happier I am.
Not much different than with beer, if you taste it an say I could tweak it just this way next time for that perfect beer...

Since you can weld - you can come up with your own Rube Goldberg Spit. Where the horizontal frame can travel up and down to raise and lower the pig from the coal bed. Huge screws, pulleys, gears, motors - it'll be great! Then you can get that perfect skin every time - and since you're not using a torch it's not cheating. 

Even when it does come out perfect though, usually the only skin that gets eaten is around the ribs, maybe a bit further out but the strays are usually legs, snout, head. Doesn't bother me if the rest is barber shop smooth. But I guess if you want a perfect presentation...

[bluesman]

The secret is "low and slow". It's time and temperature. No matter which method one uses the temp must be constant to achieve great results. I like them smoked the best. Barrel smokers are great because you can maintain pretty consistent temps and they make great smokers. The temp should remain at 225F +/- 25F. A clean porker is a happy porker. The three methods are the grill, the rotissereie or the rock-lined pit.

Here's a good reference.

http://www.askthemeatman.com/roasting_a_whole_hog_in_3_steps.htm

[Pawtucket Patriot]

I'm going to a whole hog smoke on May 22.  I was asked to smoke some ribs for the event, so I'm going to do some Jamaican Jerk baby backs with Raichlen's Rumbullion sauce.  I'll also be bringing my portable kegerator with a keg of my Oberon clone.  Should be a ton of fun!

[beerocd]

Here's a good reference.

http://www.3men.com/spitroasting.htm