Labor Day Weekend Pig Roast

[ianeccleston]

I'd dress the slaw and beans on Saturday. Don't you want it to marinate for a day in the dressing? I'm worried it won't wilt enough if you dress it on Sunday. Also, that's a heck of a lot of cabbage. Anyone know how many people each head feeds when turned into slaw? Oh well, they're cheap. (The beans too, you're going to have like 4 gallons of bean salad I think.) Have plastic containers (the disposable Glad or Ziploc kind, or ziploc baggies) arounds, so if you have tons leftover, you can make people take some home. After you dress the slaw (and bean salad), store it in white kitchen garbage bags tied with twisty ties (or gallon ziplocs, then put the ziplocs in a large garbage bag, in case the seal breaks). Even though the foil pan won't fail, I wouldn't store anything with an acidic sauce in them, because it might create an off, metalic, flavor. For service they should be fine. Also, the refrigerator storage possibilities are more flexible with bags vs pans.

You want to use a white (or clear) garbage bag for storage because you can then label them with a sharpie pen (label before putting in the food). Don't want anyone thinking that black Hefty bag is full of actual garbage.

For the cabbage slaw, I use a trick (in the recipe below) where you let it steep in salt for a couple hours. That wilts it like a charm. I'm worried that the slaw will get soupy if I dress it too early without first getting the excess moisture out.

Nevertheless, you may be right about marinating the salads ahead of time, especially the bean salad. Maybe I'll salt the cabbage on Saturday, and dress it on Sunday. What do you think?

As for the proportions, I just thought I'd take the 1/2 cabbage recommended in the recipe for "Tuscan Slaw"that I found on Epicurious, which makes 4-6 servings, and multiply it by 12, for 48-72 servings. Similarly, I did the same thing with the White Bean Salad on Epicurious (although for the record I'm really just dressing it with EVOO & lemon juice, and might cook it with some rosemary).

The garbage bags are a great idea! I've heard that one should use 'food grade' plastic - do the white garbage bags (unscented) qualify? I suppose if I'm worried about it I can put them in gallon ziplocs as you suggest. (*smack* - I wish I had gotten those at Sam's Club while I was there)

Thanks!

Ian

[Rachel Perlow]

Rosemary with white beans is a great combination. Be sure to add some chopped up to the finished product.

[ianeccleston]

As long as I'm posting the recipes I plan on using, I'll throw these carolina sauces out there for discussion/approval: South Carolina Sauce, using dijon mustard, and likely reducing the amount of brown sugar; and a North Carolina Sauce from the BBQ Bible. =Mark has a good-looking recipe on recipegullet for a South Carolina sauce, but the soy & butter in it freaks me out a little.

I plan to use a gallon of cider vinegar to make these sauces; probably a 2:1 ratio of the ketchup to mustard sauces. I'll probably end up with extra sauce, but vinegar, mustard and ketchup are cheap, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[BrentKulman]

I think your sauces sound fine.

To be truly authentic, however, since you are doing the whole pig you ought to consider an eastern NC BBQ sauce. (In Lexington, they only cook the shoulder; in the eastern part of the state, they cook the whole hog.)

Edited August 30, 2004 by Brent Kulman (log)

[NulloModo]

Those sauces look tasty, although the sugar content of the first does seem awfully high. Then again, I never use sugar in either type of those sauces and have never missed it.

[ianeccleston]

Those sauces look tasty, although the sugar content of the first does seem awfully high.  Then again, I never use sugar in either type of those sauces and have never missed it.

To be truly authentic, however, since you are doing the whole pig you ought to consider an eastern NC BBQ sauce. (In Lexington, they only cook the shoulder; in the eastern part of the state, they cook the whole hog.)

If I wanted to do classic, whole-hog bbq, it seems like I should use the Eastern sauce, w/o sugar or ketchup, but it's a bit austere for me. Call me a wimp (again), but I think I like a more sweetness and substance, and the Eastern sauce basically just has vinegar, salt and hot peppers in it. Also, it's Chicagoans I'm cooking for. It will be odd enough for them not to have a thick, KC style sauce, let alone no ketchup at all. Your points are well taken though: I think I'll keep the ketchup ratio low and lower the sugar content.

[NulloModo]

Ah, well you have to cook for your audience and all ;). I just love tart tangy hot sauces a lot more than sickeningly sweet thick ones.

[BrentKulman]

If I wanted to do classic, whole-hog bbq, it seems like I should use the Eastern sauce, w/o sugar or ketchup, but it's a bit austere for me.  Call me a wimp (again), but I think I like a more sweetness and substance, and the Eastern sauce basically just has vinegar, salt and hot peppers in it.  Also, it's Chicagoans I'm cooking for.  It will be odd enough for them not to have a thick, KC style sauce, let alone no ketchup at all.  Your points are well taken though: I think I'll keep the ketchup ratio low and lower the sugar content.

Far too much is made, in my mind, about the difference between eastern and Lexington style sauces. The amount of ketchup used in most Lexington style places is so miniscule that you would have a hard time identifying it as an ingredient. Both sauces should have a consistency that is not much thicker than vinegar. Lexington sauce will have a little more body, but not much. I agree that you should keep the sugar to a minimum.

Both sauces should be so vinegary that you wouldn't want to taste them on their own, and that is the principal difference compared to what your guests will be expecting. These Carolina sauces are just used to moisten the pig and bring out its natural flavor. When you start adding a bunch of ketchup and sugar, you will bring attention to the sauce and that is not the point.

When you think of it this way, there really isn't a "wimp" factor in choosing Lexington vs. eastern, because you just sprinkle a bit of sauce on the meat. You don't coat it like a sundae or dress it like a salad.

If you've ever had collards or turnip greens and sprinkled them with pepper sauce (basically vinegar in which whole peppers are floated), that's the idea. In fact, you need to get you a mess of collards to cook up for this pig pickin'. Remember to cook them twice.

[ianeccleston]

Ah, well you have to cook for your audience and all ;). I just love tart tangy hot sauces a lot more than sickeningly sweet thick ones.

I'm with you on the thick, sticky sauces. Growing up in the Midwest, I never thought I liked BBQ sauces much: wherever you went you found thick sauces like KC best, etc. But then I I had Hecky's BBQ in Evanston, IL, just North of Chicago. He serves a thick sauce, but really, really tangy and tart. Still sweeter than NC sauces, but it's great.

In fact, you need to get you a mess of collards to cook up for this pig pickin'. Remember to cook them twice.

No way am I cooking anything else for this party. :)

[Varmint]

Far too much is made, in my mind, about the difference between eastern and Lexington style sauces. The amount of ketchup used in most Lexington style places is so miniscule that you would have a hard time identifying it as an ingredient. Both sauces should have a consistency that is not much thicker than vinegar. Lexington sauce will have a little more body, but not much. I agree that you should keep the sugar to a minimum.

Both sauces should be so vinegary that you wouldn't want to taste them on their own, and that is the principal difference compared to what your guests will be expecting. These Carolina sauces are just used to moisten the pig and bring out its natural flavor. When you start adding a bunch of ketchup and sugar, you will bring attention to the sauce and that is not the point.

When you think of it this way, there really isn't a "wimp" factor in choosing Lexington vs. eastern, because you just sprinkle a bit of sauce on the meat. You don't coat it like a sundae or dress it like a salad.

I'm glad to see that someone else truly understands NC barbecue around here! Brent is spot on in his description of the sauces.

[BrentKulman]

In fact, I'll be at Lexington #1 tomorrow for dinner after a trip to Winston-Salem. Haven't been there in a while, so I'm looking forward to packing the cooler with some take out. My freezer supply of from various BBQ joints around the state is running low!

[ianeccleston]

OK, I thought covered it all, but I still have the willies about a couple of things if y'all don't mind answering a couple more questions. Thanks again for all of your input.

1 a) Which is better, the rotisserie or the grill? I have both options. The pig should be at 100 lbs., just the capacity of the rotisserie, but if it turns out to be heavier I assume that I will put it on the grill (indirect heat, of course). Are cooking times the same for both?

1 b) If I go with the rotisserie, is there a trick to getting in on the spit and securing it? It sounds like I put the main bar through (ick) and tie the legs forward and backwards, respectively, to the bar with wire. I'll also probably need to sew up the belly with something - will normal twine work here? I also hear that I should wrap it in chicken wire if on the rotisserie. I'd prefer not to though.. is it necessary?

1 c) If going with the grill, From what I understand I need to break the back and splay it out. I've heard that some people never flip it... but I think I'll follow Varmint's technique:

The way I've set them up before is that I start the big skin side (the back) up. After the cavity is good and smokey (several hours), I flip the pig (always a lot of fun, but I typically use a couple pieces of plywood to do it). During the first part half of the cooking, the juices run out. When that stops, I start basting the pig with my homemade dip, using a small mop. My closest friends (and those who have helped me) get the ribs, as they're done fairly early on. When the pig is done, we start pulling off huge chunks of pork, trying to mix in the brown meat with the white hams. I also try to mix in some of the outside cracklin's, as that adds good texture and flavor. I'll have a chef's knife and a cleaver going to chop some of it coarsely (I really don't like it overly chopped). I'll add a bit more dip/sauce to the chopped pig.

How long does it take for the ribs to cook? What's your technique for flipping it?

2) I've read that you should put a little extra charcoal underneath the hams and shoulders. Correct?

3) I just found out that I'll need to take the eyes out (ick again). Shouldn't be a problem. I assume that I can just cut them out. Does anyone have a technique? The butcher is also going to leave the brains in, but I assume that they just stay in there and I don't have to worry about them.

4) As of now I just have one other guy helping me, starting at 5 a.m. From 5 a.m. on, that should give me enough time to get the thing out of the tub, on the spit and sewn up and on the grill and cookin' by 6 a.m. Hopefully the two of us will be able to handle it. The roast officially starts at 2 p.m., and I hope to have the pig done by that time or by 4 p.m. Going by Varmint's earlier estimate of 8 - 10 hours this seems reasonable to me. Is it?

Thanks again,

Ian

[LaurieB]

"You want to use a white (or clear) garbage bag for storage because you can then label them with a sharpie pen (label before putting in the food). Don't want anyone thinking that black Hefty bag is full of actual garbage."

After many years in the food industry, someone (who should know) just informed me that food or ice should not be stored in black plastic garbage bags, as they can give off a noxious, even poisonious, residue. Use clear or white.

Laurie

[fifi]

There are a couple of pictures here of some pigs on a spit. They might give you some ideas.

[ianeccleston]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll go with gallon ziplocs.

As for the spit, it doesn't look like I'll have to get chicken wire, thankfully. It looks like people use both wire or twine, so I'll use whatever's most convenient. I'll probably go with twine, as I don't want the wire cutting into the skin of the pig.

Ian

[Rachel Perlow]

How's it going, Ian? Be sure to post some pics after your party.

[ianeccleston]

Sucess! Thanks so much for everyone's help! It went off without a hitch.

So dang juicy! I've got leftovers, I'm looking forward to some pork tacos simmered in chipotle adobo sauce, sandwiches with cole slaw, etc. etc.

Friday night, cooking 30 pounds of potatoes

This is Just the dressing for the potatoes. 9 cups of mayo. Yum

Cooking for an army, from top left: 4 gallons of beans, 1 gallon of hummus, 5 gallons of potato salad, 2 5 lb. chickens, 6 gallons of coleslaw

Hog butcher taking the eyes out for me

Pig in a tub

The pig cooker

Kids checking out the pig

My sous chef, who faithfully showed up at 5 a.m., the beast, and me in my nice white shirt that stayed nice and white for a full 15 minutes.

Carving the beast

Panoramic!

Goodnight, pig. Goodnight, drunky.

[Malawry]

Looks like you did a beautiful job! I love the last photo.

[ronnie_suburban]

Dayum! Way to go!

=R=

[Rachel Perlow]

Beautiful.

[spaghetttti]

Well I gotta say -- though I don't dig on swine, that was beautiful. Except for Miss Piggy all sprawled out like that in the tub!

Forgive me, but please let me say that you are one handsome man, and those kids are absolutely adorable!

Edited September 7, 2004 by spaghetttti (log)

[foolcontrol]

It looks like the wife broke down and let you put him in the tub. I bet the kids had a blast. I am sure they are telling all of their friends about it at school.

[foolcontrol]

I have a question regarding the hanging pig getting the eyes removed. Is that a great dane hanging to the right of it?

[ianeccleston]

*blush* Thanks; likewise. You can be my Internet girlfriend if you want.

I can't take credit for the boys though, they belong to my neighbor.

Well I gotta say -- though I don't dig on swine, that was beautiful.  Except for Miss Piggy all sprawled out like that in the tub!

Forgive me, but please let me say that you are one handsome man, and those kids are absolutely adorable!

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[ianeccleston]

I have a question regarding the hanging pig getting the eyes removed.  Is that a great dane hanging to the right of it?

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LOL. I think it's a lamb.