Pigs are cute and awful tasty, too.
Pit cooking is often associated with holiday gatherings or special occasions because of the labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of the project. The typical barbecue pit requires placing a pig on top of layers of hot stones and leaves and covering it with dirt and wet burlap to seal in heat and moisture. Whole pigs should be cooked for about 20 minutes per pound and reach a final temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Dig a hole 2 to 3 feet deep and 5 to 7 feet wide. The diameter of the pit depends on the size of the pig, but should be wide enough to accommodate the whole animal.
2. Line the bottom of the pit with rocks. Be careful not to use shale, which can burst when heated.
3. Place your firewood over the rocks and light it. Hickory, maple, beech or ironwood are the preferred timbers for pit cooking. It will take approximately two hours for the fire to die down to ash and embers.
4. Place smaller rocks directly into the fire. These will heat the inside of the pig later.
5. Season the pig as desired. Make slits under the legs that will accommodate the smaller stones. Place the pig onto the chicken wire.
6. Soak the burlap in water.
7. Remove the small stones from the fire with tongs and place them inside the slits and cavity of the pig. Only do this once the fire has died down to glowing embers.
8. Tie the front legs together with twine, then the back legs. Wrap the pig in the chicken wire so that it can be lifted out of the pit once cooked.
9. Spread embers out evenly over the rocks with the shovel. Cover the embers with a layer of grass trimmings, leaves or corn stalks. Aromatic herbs also can be added to the trimmings to enhance flavor. Do not use all of your trimmings; they will need to cover the pig later.
10. Lower pig into pit. Cover with a generous layer of trimmings, leaves or stalks. Lay wet burlap over the leaves. The burlap will hold in the steam and the heat.
11. Cover the burlap with a tarp or canvas. Shovel dirt or gravel on top.
12. Cook pig for 20 minutes per pound.
13. Remove the dirt, tarp, leaves and canvas covering the pig. Using oven mitts or rags carefully pull the pig out by grabbing the chicken wire.
14. Cover a table with newspaper and set the pig on top. Unwrap the chicken wire and pull away from the pig.
15. Carve meat off of pig and serve.
Tags: chicken wire, minutes pound, over rocks, trimmings leaves