Pig Roast with no skin allowed on pig?

[Ufimizm]

This past weekend a friend's sister got married and they had a pig roast for the wedding. My buddy likes to cook and was around when the guy who was roasting the pig was setting everything up. When they got the pig out it had no skin on it and had to be wrapped in various things to keep it moist. The guying doing the roasting is a instructor at a local tech school for their culinary program. He told him that they are not allowed to roast whole pigs with their skin still on, per USDA rules. I have not been to a pig roast in a long time, but I have never heard of this rule. It doesn't even make sense to me why it would be in place. Does anyone else know anything about this?

[TheTInCook]

Never heard of that either. Maybe he's misunderstanding some of their guidance? Pretty sure that USDA has no authority over catering. Pig skin is fairly safe stuff, they scald it to get the hair off, and IIRC most packers wash corpses with some sort of antimicrobial rinse.

I've heard of a few cases of food borne illness happening at quinceaneras where the family butchered the kid for cabrito. They nicked the gut, and caused the meat to get contaiminated.

[tim]

Hi,

Actually, this caterer is sourcing his hogs from a plant that removes the skin. Larger swine packing plant no longer process the skin to save money.

You may still purchase a pig with skin from a plant that has the scalding equipment to properly clean the skin.

Tim

[andiesenji]

In my opinion that borders on the ridiculous. The whole point of cooking a whole pig is so the skin protects and adds moisture/fat to the meat.

Having scalded and scraped a lot of hog hides, I know it is not all that difficult, just needs some effort, and a blowtorch to finish of the wire-like whiskers on the head.

There is actually more chance of the meat being contaminated when it is not protected by the skin during the extra handling require to remove it.

[HungryC]

Hogwash! (sorry, couldn't resist) Plenty of skin-on cooking of whole hogs out there. Louisiana's cochon de lait is skin-on and roasted, and the whole-hog BBQ tradition of the Carolinas is alive and well. Perhaps he meant to say he has difficulty securing skin-on whole hogs, so he doesn't use them any longer?

[dcarch]

Just went to a birthday party a few days ago.

One of courses served:

dcarch

[andiesenji]

And exactly as it should be!

[toolprincess]

Roasting a pig without the skin is an abomination.

[Mallet]

Agreed. The skin is the best part! see pictures here.

[Beebs]

Skinless roast pig - blasphemy and outrage!

I wonder if they're holding aside the skin for a special cook's (butcher's??) treat?