Pit-roasting a Pig

[mnebergall]

After looking at the picture of those 2 pig cookers going, it suddenly started smelling like hickory smoke in my office. How am I going to explain that?

Edited May 7, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[dumplin]

You know that whole line of which bathtub do you want me to use will just backfire on you... You know us Carolina girls... While you're brining your pig in the tub, I'll have your SUV at Lowe's picking out my new jacuzzi.

I'm from Raleigh and its been a long time since I've been at a good pig pickin. They don't really know what that is in Chicago.

[ned]

Thank you all. Read most of this thread aloud while eating smoked brisket and pork shoulder. Tears seasoned the meat.

[KarenS]

Why don't you post this question on the Hawaii thread? The hole that you dig in the ground is called an imu. I have seen pigs wrapped in banana leaves and burlap. Some people then wrap the pig in chicken wire- for easier removal from the imu. I also really enjoy turkey that is done this way. The pork is then removed from the bones and shredded.

[herbacidal]

Quick. Help me think up some good ways to eeeeaaaaase into that conversation with her. Something other than my usual approach, which would be somewhere along the lines of this:

Waiting until the pig is in the back of her car while you're parked in front of the house sounds like a winner.

Don't forget to get a buncha alcohol in her that day if possible.

If not, if she's hung over from the night before,

then she'll still put up less resistance. right?

[ExtraMSG]

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

I've actually had the privilege of helping dig the pit (at least they told me it was a privilege) and watching the prep at a real luau since I have Samoan family in Hawaii and they do that sort of thing with any excuse whatsoever. Also been to a couple commercial luaus and watched some the prep and removal of the pig.

The chicken wire is a must. They wrapped it all in banana leaves (or was it taro leaves?) and covered it with coals and put it on rocks and buried it. It took a while, of course, but I don't think you'd need to brine it. The meat is so succulent from the low oxygen/low heat cooking method and just falling apart tender. That's why the chicken wire is so important. Sam's post brought back some nice memories. (Definitely do the whole pig, if you can.)

btw, this was an interesting link I found: http://www.cbbqa.com/meat/pork/LuauPig.html

And a couple others:

http://www.alohafriends.com/Luau2.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_6296_make-imu.html

I can't imagine trying to talk my anal-retentive-won't-eat-meat-off-the-bone-or-skin-wife into any part of this exercise. Take some pictures and make me jealous.

btw, the boys at Mythbusters had some...er...luck getting a pig into a Corvette. They never did get the stink out, though.

Edited May 21, 2004 by ExtraMSG (log)