Hog Roast

Chip_Butty_3

Hi'ya,

Has anyone ever prepared & cooked a whole pig on a Spit. (Notice I left the Spit & replaced it with Hog, for the more delicate amongst us).

We are thinking of doing a Whole pig for a 21st birthday party & wondered if anyone had actually done one or if you had any info.

Cheers

Mick

cmjohnson_86

We once cooked a whole pig in our oven at work for someone who was having one. Its trotters were already cut open and it was gutted, also no head. But we couldnt fi it in the oven so had to cut it in half and the crack of its back was something else.Lol. Sorry if im making you sick.

Anyway, we started cooking it at 8am @ 300 degrees and took around 12 hours, so if you do get one get it cooked professionally to avoid dissapointment. I would reccomend one as there gorgeous and the feast is endless..... Save me some

stuart264

I don't have the book anymore as I lost it in the divorce but the first "Two Fat Ladies" cookbook from the BBC Series has Hogroast and Sheep Roast temperatures and times in it.

Might be worth checking your local libarary and then photocopying that page

Debt_Free_Chick

You would normally hire someone to do the whole thing for you. You get the cook/chef, spit, fuel, pig ..... for an all-in-price. Some firms will offer everything except the chef, for a lower price - but it's a bit of a skill to roast it evenly and then carve it. Remember, it's the whole carcass not a nice boned joint!

There are loads on Google and many of them will give you an online quote or have the prices on the site.

You can't DIY unless you have the proper spit roast machine - a whole hog won't fit on a B&Q BBQ

nearlyrich

I followed a pink van for miles yesterday with the spitting pig on, I had a look at their website as we have a family celebration coming up and it's a bit different.

It says it caters for all budgets???

middleman_2

Never done a pig but in Greece they roast a whole lamb for Easter (head included) and it takes forever. Someone starts the ball rolling at about 5am and everyone takes turns rotating it throughout the day. I think it ends up pretty greasy and I imagine a pig would be even worse.

livinginhope

Not got any advice,but when I was a child I remember dad getting a pig (alive:eek: ) putting it in the boot of the car,it ate a spare battery and nudged the back seat all the way back to the naval base,the sailors then slaughtered it and put it on a spit,I know it took nearly all night to cook,cos we watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks about a dozen times,and Cinderella even more,that was to stop the kids watching out of the window at the poor pig :rotfl:
Aah those were the days,thanks for letting me relive that memory:D

born_blonde

I have roasted a pig on a spit.
It's not that difficult though needs some preparation.
You need to hire or make a spit we used a scaffolding pole for the spit and made a metal frame to hold it. You can just use a wood fire underneath ( hardwood i.e ash and elm) and it will take arround 12 hours, so its a through the night job if you want it at lunchtime. Wash the pig down well and score the skin to rub salt in for crisp crackelling. A hight adjustable spit helps, low down to start and then move it up. Wrap ears and the like in foil to stop them burning.
There is a great section in the River Cottage Meat cookbook page 386 which goes into great detail, with photo's. You could also show the pic's to a blacksmith to get them to build the kit.
A pig will feed 100 plus, a lamb ( easier and more delicious) around 40.
It will be quiet hard work, the taste is worth it and the first time it's not cheap as you have to make the kit. Make sure your butcher knows what you want it for, I had one turn up split into two parts and had to sew it together with surgical wire before we could roast it !
Good luck.

Mirtos

Hey. In my village in greece we roast whole sheep, pigs and goats at easter like middleman says. You CAN do it yourself if you dont mind the time! You can dig a shallow pit for a wood/charcoal fire, then rig up a spit mechanism over it. You can also buy automatic spit turners in greece, but not sure where you'd get them in the uk!!! The important thing is to cook SLOWLY over a low ish heat (don't put meat on until charcoal is burnt through and white with ash on the outside) Brush with olive oil and massage salt in to the skin of the pig to get good crackling, then just keep rotating. Alternatively, my dad often builds stone/brick "ovens" over the charcoal, to keep the heat in, then just whack the pig in a pan as if it was a sunday joint and roast SLOWLY. You're talking at least overnight there. (midnight to 7am say). prod pig with skewer - it's done when the juices run clear. HTH.

mehefin

We had one done professionally for our silver wedding last year - but cos of size limitaions they actually did joints rather than a whole hog. It fed 60+ and cost about £250 from memory., and came with several salads, rolls , plates and cutlery etc. They brought all the gear (meat was nearly cooked) and then set up and finished off. Even had their own gazebo in case it rained. Absolutely no effort for us and worth every penny. Dog thought it was good too. Loads left over for pork sarnies the next day too

lynzpower

I saw someone was having one on "justin & the other guys design wedding programme" which was somewhere round the £200 mark. I said to OH, oooh shall we have one too for our wedding, he replied how many meals do you want at our wedding there is more to weddings than constantly eating you know lynz :rotfl: