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whole pigs

tommy

By tommy
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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted

inspired by varmint's pig pickin (and my desire to have a whole pig at a party someday), i was wondering how one goes about eating a whole pig. surely there are different parts and those different parts should be eaten seperately.

what do you serve with it? does it need sauce? do you use a fork? or are they sandwiches? what gives?

tommy:eats.com
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KNorthrup

KNorthrup

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I have always pictured it is like a giant corn on the cob made of pork.

EWWWWW

Usually it's in slices/shreds/chunks on a plate with an optional sauce. And it's certainly easier to eat that between bread. Pretty much like what you'd get going to a bbq restaurant but unlimited servings. And then lots of leftovers. Like roasting the world's largest chicken.

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Varmint

Varmint

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You start with the ribs. Those are for the folks who helped you cook and your closest friends. You then search for meat with heavy duty rubber glove. Pull it off the pig. You can cut it to smaller bites, or just start eating the large pieces of flesh. Sauce it if you like.

I like to get a mix of the darker and lighter meats, all with small pieces of cracklin' (the then crispy skin) mixed in. Mmmmmmm.

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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Really Nice!

Really Nice!

Posted
Posted
i was wondering how one goes about eating a whole pig

slowly

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

Jim

With a fork?

Hey, remember that guy a few years back in Indiana who ate an entire pig and then died from inhaling the expelled gasses from his own body? Or should this be posted on a different BBS? :smile:

Anyway... A pig, just like any other animal is best utilized when you separate it at the primal cuts. And meat packers have a number for each cut of each animal which I'll provide for you. Starting from the head:

Boston Butt -- NAMP (North American Meat Processors) #406: This is the shoulder of the pig. Don't ask why it's called a butt. This is what you use to make bbq'd shredded pork; cook it low and slow because it's a tough cut of meat (as are all shoulders of animals). Serve it with bbq sauce and serve as a sandwich.

Arm/shoulder AKA Picnic Shoulder -- NAMP #405: These are the front legs of the pig. This is best when smoked or made into choucroute or cassoulet.

Loin -- NAMP #410-416: This is the top half of the pig between the boston butt and the leg. This is the source of many things; ribs, tenderloin, chops... Usually a dry heat method is best for this area of the pig. Ribs should be served with a bbq sauce, tenderloin and chops with a strained, classical sauce.

Side, or belley -- NAMP #408: Bacon! Serve with eggs over easy, ketchup, and hashbrowns. :laugh:

Leg: AKA Ham NAMP #402. This too is great with the dry heat method and basted. Serve with a mustard- and honey-based sauce.

Now, if you're cooking the entire thing, just put out as many condiments as you can (as mentioned above), and let the individuals make their own sauce selection.

Source for NAMP numbering: The Meat Buyers Guide, by the north american meat processors association, © 1997. Unfortunately, according to Amazon, it's out of print. If you have another source, the ISBN number is 1-878154-00-1. I think this cost me $50.

Drink!

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. --John Mortimera

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Varmint

Varmint

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Posted (edited)

But if you're cooking a whole hog, I've never seen anyone separate it like that. They really just start tearing at the carcass until there's no more meat left.

Now if you're cooking just shoulders, that's another matter.

Edit: Oops. I just now saw the comment about the "whole thing." However, I've never been to a pig pickin' or pig roast where different sauces were provided for the different cuts of meat.

Edited by Varmint (log)

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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Really Nice!

Posted
Posted
Edit: Oops.  I just now saw the comment about the "whole thing."  However, I've never been to a pig pickin' or pig roast where different sauces were provided for the different cuts of meat.

I have on a couple of occasions. My first was a wedding in Wenatchee Washington. They had six different sauces, supposedly you were to make an intelligent decision based on the meat you were eating. No one knew that you were to have a bbq sauce with the pork butt, and the honey-mustard sauce with the ham. They didn't know one end of the pig from the other.

Butt (:laugh:), honestly, if you were to point at a section of a whole cooked pig such as the Boston Butt and ask, "What part is this?" I don't think someone would answer with, "It's the Boston butt that you use to make bbq'd shredded pork; can I have it with bbq sauce and a couple slices of bread so I can eat it as a sandwich?"

I guess this makes me a BBQ snob. :shock:

Drink!

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. --John Mortimera

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Varmint

Varmint

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are their companies out there that will bring the pig and the roasting equipment to your cookout and basically do it for you or help w the set up?

Yes, but only a tourist would do this.

Or someone far smarter than I!

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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tommy

tommy

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Posted (edited)
are their companies out there that will bring the pig and the roasting equipment to your cookout and basically do it for you or help w the set up?

Yes, but only a tourist would do this.

i've been called worse. :biggrin:

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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Varmint

Varmint

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Yes, but only a tourist would do this

Dean can say this since he's the Master Smoker in the Midwest.... :smile:

Maybe we could do a Pig Roast in the fall...that would be awesome...

Umh, "we" are: Come to North Cackalacky

If we can get people from Texas, Missouri, Toronto, Philly, NY, NJ, Mass. and Chicago, too, we can get the rest of you 2nd City folks!

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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awbrig

awbrig

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If we can get people from Texas, Missouri, Toronto, Philly, NY, NJ, Mass. and Chicago, too, we can get the rest of you 2nd City folks!

What are the details: that thread is too long to just glance over...

who is coming from Chicago?

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guajolote

guajolote

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Posted
Yes, but only a tourist would do this

Dean can say this since he's the Master Smoker in the Midwest.... :smile:

Maybe we could do a Pig Roast in the fall...that would be awesome...

Umh, "we" are: Come to North Cackalacky

If we can get people from Texas, Missouri, Toronto, Philly, NY, NJ, Mass. and Chicago, too, we can get the rest of you 2nd City folks!

Isn't more than one pig per season permissable ?

Varmint, I'm working on my wife to go. I just saw that AirTran ( :blink: ) has $139 flights to Raleigh/Durham. What can I do to convince her?

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Really Nice!

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If we can get people from Texas, Missouri, Toronto, Philly, NY, NJ, Mass. and Chicago, too, we can get the rest of you 2nd City folks!

What are the details: that thread is too long to just glance over...

who is coming from Chicago?

Well, I'm from Park Ridge and have been known to travel back home from time to time...

Where is this going to take place? Although I'm limited on employment, I'm big on frequent flyer miles. :laugh:

Shall I bring some appropriate sauces?

What's the date, time, location................................?

Drink!

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. --John Mortimera

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fifi

fifi

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I have whole pig served at REAL luaus (given by friends, not hotels) and it was always SOOOO civilized. I fantasize having a pig and a few well chosen friends surrounding the pig and ripping, tearing and engaging in unfettered gluttony. Not pretty, but... hey... it is MY fantasy.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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snowangel

snowangel

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My neighbors (from Mexico; yes, I mention them again :biggrin: ) often bring home a whole pig. It is dead and, I believe, gutted, but has feet, legs, a body and a head.

What they do is cut it up (Peter, age 7 is fascinated by the process). The head goes inside to make some sort of hangover soup.

The rest of it is fried in one way or another. I haven't paid enough attention, but some of it is made into carnitas, some of it is just plain deep fried, in a large copper vat over a multi-ringed propane burner outside. The carnitas and fried stuff is served with "embellished rice," a variety of salsas and pico, beans, tortillas. They usually give the fried organ meat to the kids.

I don't remember what they do with the feet. Blame it on beer and tequila. And the band.

The "pig" thing always involves a Big Party. Band, beer, tequila, grandmas, grandpas, babes in arms, middle-aged folks, kids racing around, and someone passed out under the picnic table the next morning. It's spectacular.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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Varmint

Varmint

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Yes, there should be plenty of pig pickin's/pig roasts each year. It's just that I'm doing one this fall, so if you're interested in a huge party, it might be worth a trip.

Here's the down and dirty: Saturday, October 11 in Raleigh, NC. This is Columbus Day weekend, if you happen to be in an area that celebrates it (we do not). Some people are coming down as early as Thursday, so they can get in a round of golf down in Pinehurst (about an hour away) or for a barbecue tour.

From Chicago, I'd recommend taking American, which has direct flights for $164. Our resident travel agent, Jaymes, is actually arranging group rates for hotels and rental cars. We may have a bluegrass band. We WILL have fun. Oh, and there's some pretty good food in the area outside of barbecue.

Here's a list of who's coming:

Hjshorter + 23 (actually, only +3) (DC area)

ZebA + 1-1/2 (Raleigh)

Marlene +1 (Toronto)

Vengroff +1 (DC)

Jaymes (Texas but Missouri by then)

=Mark (NJ)

=Mark's "bro" Rich

maggiethecat (Chi-town)

Holly Moore (Philly)

KatieLoeb (Philly)

Malawry (DC area)

edemuth (DC area)

Dave the Cook (Hotlanta)

Kpurvis (Charlotte)

Dlc (Tennessee)

Mummer (Philly)

claire797 +2 (??)

herbacidal (??) (Philly)

Blondie (NY)

Ditsydine (Raleigh)

NewYorkTexan (??) (Austin, TX)

Jason & Rachel Perlow (Jersey – in their RV)

Timothycdavis (Charlotte)

Weka +1 (Cary)

Hungry Chris +1 (where are you from?)

Jmcgrath (Massachussets)

Hscottk is very interested (NJ)

Sam Iam is trying to cajole family members to come (Michigan)

Tommy is "in", and is starting to really think about being really in now that he's learned that Raleigh isn't totally populated by extras from Deliverance. But he's still probably out.

Nickn from Maine realized it's a thousand miles, but is reconsidering.

Xanthippe is crazy enough (and easy enough to manipulate) that she's very seriously considering coming from the redwood highlands of California.

Aurora is trying to round up the Heartland gang, if only they'd get over their Bourdain hangover.

Bourdain has been conspicuously silent.

Sorry to hijack this thread. Please return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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