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Pig Roast

2K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  cowgirlone 
#1 ·
In honor of national pig day, we cooked a pig in the ground this weekend...ok so maybe we were going to cook it whether it was national pig day or not. :eek:
this is starting the fire to burn the wood down to get a bed of coals



This is seasoning and wrapping the pig in chicken wire and foil.




This is the pig in the pit. It is sitting on a sheet of tin on top of the coals. Another sheet of tin goes over the hole and then is buried with dirt.



Supper



The hog cooked overnight and was ready to eat in about 14 hours. Sure wish you all would have been here! :D
 
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#2 ·
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I have a fork and big plate just in case you run out of the utensils. :haha:

Did you say turn right or left at the mail box in front of your place. :confused:

Which is close to what, in which town, next to.....how you spell that state ? :eek:

SAVE ME, SAVE ME, SAVE ME SOME ! ! ! :waa: :)
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#3 ·
cowgirlone said:
In honor of national pig day, we cooked a pig in the ground this weekend...ok so maybe we were going to cook it whether it was national pig day or not. :eek:
this is starting the fire to burn the wood down to get a bed of coals



This is seasoning and wrapping the pig in chicken wire and foil.




This is the pig in the pit. It is sitting on a sheet of tin on top of the coals. Another sheet of tin goes over the hole and then is buried with dirt.



Supper



The hog cooked overnight and was ready to eat in about 14 hours. Sure wish you all would have been here! :D

I was wondering one thing... Did it taste like turkey?when my husband and his brother were younger they cooked one and had it under ground too and they both said it tasted like turkey. It looks good though.
 
#4 ·
Bumpus, you turn right at the mailbox. :haha:

DMC, it didn't taste like turkey, it tasted like smoked pork. It turned out really moist and tender. This one was a big one and we didn't get it into the ground until almost 3 a.m.. Luckily it was done in time for the gathering the next evening. (whew)
It's a good way to cook one when you don't want to tend the fire. :)
 
#9 ·
uncle Will in In. said:
Cowgirl, It ain't no big wonder why people are always piling in on you and forgetting to go home. Slap up a bunk house and charge the buggers. Your place is where half the nation wish they could spend their vacation.. Take their money, and make them happy.
A bunk house....what a great idea! :haha: :haha:
Unk I had the pillows fluffed for you and Aunt Will. :D
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the photos. That looks excellent. Except for the wrapping and the top layer of soil, that is exactly how my Cuban family does it. It takes all day- start early in the morning and it is done by night time.
 
#12 ·
cowgirlone said:
Tango I sure would like to try a wild hog sometime...I bet they are delicious!!

Do you have any good family recipes for rubs or marinades that I could try next time? I have always heard that cuban recipes are soooo good, I'd love to try something new. :)
They are cowgirlone :D if you ever come down to Okeechobee, I will roast one in your honor. Of course, mine probably don't qualify as "wild," which must affect the taste, since they are born and raised here. I've had the wild kind only once and the cook dried it out- dried everything out that day, all the game tasted the same: dried out. :no:
A Cuban recipe for roast pork is very simple. The one ingredient that is indispensable is naranja agría or sour (?) orange. there's no substitute for it. The pig is scalded, dehaired, and cleaned and the spine is cut into so the pig lays out flat. The ingredients are sour oranges, garlic, salt, oregano, black pepper, and cumin. Everything but the juice of the oranges is mashed together in a pilón or garlic masher (?). It is made of wood. This is also important I think. I've had garlic that is pressed or chopped and there is a difference (at least to me). When it is all nicely pulverized, it is mixed with the orange juice- this is called mojo (pronounced mó- hoe). You need about 10 oranges for a 70 or so pound pig. The other ingredients, I don't usually measure but I listed them in descending order. Stab the carcass throughout about 2 inches deep and pour the mixture into the holes. Then bathe the whole pig with the rest of it and let it marinade overnight, turning it every couple of hours for eveness. Before putting it on the coals rub it with the dry ingredients one more time.
Instead of the dry ingredients you can buy a ready mixed season called adobo, which we find here in the ethnic food aisle. If it doesn't contain oregano be sure to add your own. The rule of thumb is to taste. Everyone I know uses the same basic ingredients but alter the flavor by adding more or less of anything. Whatever you do don't buy the mojo at the supermarket- those mixtures don't taste the same. Place it in the metal pan over the coals and place another metal pan over it. Slow cooked it takes about 8-10 hours depending on the size. It will pull off the bone when it's done. Some of my best childhood memories are the night of noche buena, Christmas Eve, while all of us kds and all the adults talked around the roasting pig. It was never done before midnight :)
 
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#14 ·
Cowgirl that was one big pig! You must have been expecting a bunch of us homesteaders. Sorry I didn't know about it sooner, I might have just showed up!

I had been wanting to ask if anyone had a good marinade for pig. A few days ago when I was studying up on Cajun Microwaves one of the sights mentioned shooting marinade inside their pig every two hours while it was cooking. But they didn't give a recipe.

I'm hoping to try my luck at roasting a pig come April 5th. My youngest daughters birthday celebration.
 
#15 ·
r.h. in okla. said:
one of the sights mentioned shooting marinade inside their pig every two hours while it was cooking. But they didn't give a recipe.
You can create your own recipe depending on the flavor you are looking for. A friend of mine sautees garlic, butter, and cilantro with water along with a mix of seasonings and injects it after she filters it. I think if you inject it the night before, you don't need to inject it every two hours. At least that has been our experience.
 
#16 ·
cowgirlone said:
Thank you so much Tango!!
I'm copying this down!! It sounds delicious!!
I'm not sure if I can find naranja agria here, but I bet I could order them off of the net. I'm sure going to use your recipe next time, Thanks!! :D
Glad I could help :) Oranges have two seasons :eek:ne right in December when most hispanics are doing their roast for Christmas Eve and the other in late spring. I guess you'd have to squeeze and freeze to use when you need it, unless you can find a concentrate online. Surely someone has thought of this problem. Don't forget photos! :)
 
#17 ·
R.H. that was one BIG pig. I should have hollered at you to come on over! :haha: We had lots of help eating it, but I still had tons of leftovers. I'm planning on making some tamales with some of it. I like the smokey flavor.

I marinade and inject turkeys, pork roasts and ribs, etc. but I usually don't inject a whole hog.
This one I filled with apples, onions, brown sugar and some pork dry rub. It tastes good but doesn't penetrate into the meat like I wish it would.

Thanks for all of your help Tango, I can't wait to do another one using your recipe! :D
 
#19 ·
Hi Farmy, that sounds like a fun wedding! I figure at least 1/4 lb of meat per person, depending on how many side dishes you have to go with it. I usually make at least three side dishes and a couple of salads, hot bread or rolls and a dessert....ok so I usually have a LOT of leftovers too. :haha:
This hog was over 200lbs, we usually do them a lot smaller, 75 to 150lbs, depending on how many people are coming.
The cooked pork freezes well too. :D
 
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