I've helped out a few times but I have never done one on my own. Looking for suggestions....should I do open fire or Cajun microwave...should I get the the pig butterflied? Any sugestions would be appriciated.
Open fire is easy and more authentic, but it takes longer and you still need a rig. A friend of mine has a steel rig that clasps the butterflied pig between two hog wire frames and you can turn the pig over from time to time until it is done. I've seen pigs cooked over the coals, but it cooks them too fast for my tastes. The best rigs have the pig held vertically to the side of the fire and then make a roofing-tin box around and over the fire which directs the heat onto the pig, but doesn't let the pig drip into the fire and cause flareups. It's easier to keep adding wood to the fire this way, too. You can cook a really big hog on such a rig. Cajun microwaves are better for suckling pigs or they get huge. Cook slow for a long time at low heat is the key. Kind of like these . . .
Red pretty much covered all the bases. I'd just add that you inject that lil porker. Poke, especially from a large hog, can lack some flavor and juiciness in the depths of the meat.
I have no experience roasting a pig...I've never done it. So I'm not one to ask for advice. However, the best one I ever ate was smoked on a pit by Ronnie Estay's brother, Eddie. The pig was simply cut in half and smoked skin side down. The skin hardened and tightened up into a kind of bowl which trapped all the fat. The meat slowly cooked in the fat which never got above the boiling temperature of water...so it wasn't deep fried in the bowl of skin. This is called a confit in the classical French tradition. The result is that the meat cooks in the oil without the moisture being lost rendering the meat very, very tender. It was served with tongs and the meat came out all shredded. It was one of the most memorable meals I ever had. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confit
Well…this is what I was thinking about doing…I was thinking about making to walls of cinder blocks about 4 feet high wide enough apart to exceed the length of the pig. Then I was going to build a wood fire between the walls and spread the coals out, adding wood as needed. The pig would be affixed between to metal mesh planks and laid on top of the structure lengthwise. I would then flip the pig every hour until down. I was also thinking about making a simple A frame roof with tin that would be opened on the ends but would help direct some of the heat. It would either be that or throw the little porker in a Cajun microwave. I know nothing about those though and I am afraid that the pork won’t get that “smoked” flavor.
That, with one end covered by a sheet of tin and the pig propped up against the other end sandwiched between hog wire would be a good rig. Feed the fire from the sheet-of-tin end. Galvanized steel roofing sheets reflect the heat better than cinder blocks and are far more portable. You just need a 2x4 frame and a few clamps to set them up. And just knock them down and lean them against the back of the shed until next time or throw it in the truck and take it to camp. They are quick and make a moist, juicy pig and are good for a party. You can do it on the patio with charcoal briquettes. I think the pig steams itself in it's own juices in that box. But it won't do for a proper Couchon de Lait. It doesn't have the smoky flavor you get from hickory or oak wood fire, they must inject it with artificial smoke. And the cracklings are not as crisp and tasty. if you don't try to cook it too fast or too hot, you can roast a pig in a pit without drying it out.
This is the place to get pigs, they inject them also....... Yep, we get ours from this place........ Roucher's Meat Market (225) 687-4258 59435 Belleview Dr Plaquemine, LA 70764
