Whole Hog cooked on a spit - Advice needed

[shify]

I'm gearing up to cook my first whole pig next Saturday (May 12th). Looking for any advice, tips/tricks from those that have done this and can share.

I ordered a 50lb pig from a farm here in Westchester (Hemlock Hills farm) and rented a rotisserie spit to cook it. Getting the pig the day before so will have time to inject/brine/dry rub as necessary.

I have 120 lbs of charcoal at the ready and am expecting the cook to take around 5-6 hours (rule of thumb based on my reading is 1 hour or so per 10 lbs) but will be cooking by temp. Any guidelines for the temp to pull? Recommendations throughout the web are all over the place with some saying to pull at around 160 deg in the hams and others all the way up to 190-200.

Suggestions for injecting/rubs? I was leaning towards using MMD as the rub but have never injected, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Besides the injection/rub, I'm planning on making three sauces to serve on the side. A NC vinegar style sauce, a KC style BBQ and maybe a mojo.

For those interested, the rest of the menu I'll be making is as follows:

• Mustard Slaw
• (regular) cole slaw
• Potato salad
• Macaroni salad
• Pickled jalapenos
• Grilled corn

I'll also make some sort of chicken dish for those that don't dig the swine. Maybe some pulled chicken.

I promise I'll take lots of pictures and report back. Thanks for any advice!

[DeusDingo]

i've never done it but if i were this would be my first stop:

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/pork-chops-pulled-pork-ham-and-more-pork-recipes/going-whole-hog-what-you-need-know

[EdF]

Wow!

[steve_woolston]

The trick with whole pig is different parts of the pig are best cooked to different temperatures. The shoulders are best cooked to 195-203 because of the collagen in the shoulders, while the hams are okay anywhere from 160 to 180 (you don't want the hams to get dried out though) - but make sure every part of the pig reaches at least 145. The loins are somewhat protected from overcooking by the ribs. Doing that on a spit may require some creativity. By all means use digital thermometers to track the temps in the shoulders and hams. One thing going for you is that a 50 lb pig will be easier to get done than a larger pig. I doubt you will need 120 lb of charcoal. Start with a modest fire at first. I'd suggest cooking to about 120 on a low fire, then increase the heat to get it done.

As far as brine, Meathead's apple juice and rice vinegar (and other things) injection has worked well for me.

I hope this helps. Enjoy the experience!

[shify]

Thanks for the response. I know I won't need 120 lbs of charcoal but don't want to be at risk to running out, so made sure I'd be well stocked so grabbed an extra 2 pack of KBB