Learning Whole Hog

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Hey Everybody,

A while back I did my first (and only) whole pig (~85Lbs) on my offset smoker and it didn't come out very well. I overloaded the smoker with the pig and all the foil from the "curled up foil" technique. Now I've got a much larger smoker that is capable of doing some very large pigs and I'd like to take another crack at doing whole pigs.

For reference here's the smoker :

I've just started my daily vending BBQ business and it's going pretty well. Within 2 weeks I've already gotten a few requests for whole pig catering events later on in the year. I also found a solid pork processing plant about a half hour away who's got some nice products. I can get any cut off the pig, half pigs, and whole pigs, up to about 200Lbs. Now that I have the requests and the supply I'd really like to start practicing and getting ready for those cooks later on in the year.

Last time I used Malcom Reed's ~20 min video on whole hog preparation as a guide, and I think I did the prep work decent enough. I'm looking for any tips, techniques, guides, or general resources for trying to shorten the learning curve. Good thing is that I can practice on a half pig and serve that meat the next day as pulled pork during my lunch service.

I'm open to any and all ideas...skin up, skin down, low and slow, hot and fast, etc. My smoker has a firebox so I can shovel coals if needed, and it has two propane burners so I can run those to keep the temps wherever I need them and just add wood / coals for smoke.

Looking forward to a good discussion!

 

[Tatanka]

Looks like a good mobile smoking setup, and you're hooked up with a quality, local meat supplier; very smart. I grew up in NC and have been to more "Pig Pickins" than I could count. You know the drill: top notch rub/mopping sauce combo and one side of the hog is mopped once or twice less than the other. Some of us prefer drier pork, not all wet from sauce. The experienced pig pickers will always go for the tenderloin (backstrap) first. [If you leave the head on, they might go for the cheek first.]

 

[Vicar]

Nice rig.

 

[Czarbecue]

Look at how La Caja China prep their hogs on YouTube. They split it though but everything else with the injection and marinade is spot on. We did a 40 pound hog in Destin a few weeks ago and it was killer.

 

[nachos4life]

what did you not like about the one you have cooked previously?

 

[Czarbecue]

what did you not like about the one you have cooked previously?

I think he had too much foil and it messed with the smoke penetration of the hog.



Back to the OP... where did the Johnson go?

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

@Nacho, I had an 85Lb pig inside my Johnson cooker and the way I did the foil curling technique it blocked too much airflow and I had a ton of issues with getting enough heat to the hams. So the shoulders were at 190 and the hams were at 145 and the pig just didn't come out very well.

@Czar, I still use the Johnson cooker almost every night, but it doesn't do well with whole pigs. The grates don't run all the way across the cook chamber and the mounts for the upper racks get in the way of being able to easily slide the pig in / out of the cooker.

 

[nachos4life]

Malcom reed has some great tips. I've only done a few whole hogs but they've turned out great. They were all 80-90lbs. I lay them flat on their backs on our Shirley. I injected with a modified Chris Lily injection adding some phosphates and some of our rub. trimmed as much of the fat and membranes as I could. I like stuffing chorizo or other sausage over the ribs for awhile. I let it go for awhile without wrapping in foil and then wrap when the color starts getting where i like it. If i wait too long it gets too dark. best of luck!

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Malcom reed has some great tips. I've only done a few whole hogs but they've turned out great. They were all 80-90lbs. I lay them flat on their backs on our Shirley. I injected with a modified Chris Lily injection adding some phosphates and some of our rub. trimmed as much of the fat and membranes as I could. I like stuffing chorizo or other sausage over the ribs for awhile. I let it go for awhile without wrapping in foil and then wrap when the color starts getting where i like it. If i wait too long it gets too dark. best of luck!

What kind of temps are you running? I posted a few months ago about doing a 225° hog cook and lots of people told me to raise it to 300° to get the skin reasonably crispy. I was stubborn and just wanted to do a low and slow hog and it didn't work out well.

Malcom Reed's video on the CTO-DW was really good and what I used for reference. I also used a bit of Eric Thomas's video from "The Rolling Grill BBQ" and it helped in the prep work.

 

[Cook]

Looks like a good mobile smoking setup, and you're hooked up with a quality, local meat supplier; very smart. I grew up in NC and have been to more "Pig Pickins" than I could count. You know the drill: top notch rub/mopping sauce combo and one side of the hog is mopped once or twice less than the other. Some of us prefer drier pork, not all wet from sauce. The experienced pig pickers will always go for the tenderloin (backstrap) first. [If you leave the head on, they might go for the cheek first.]

I consider myself experienced...and I thank you for leaving the belly alone...I want it all! LoL

 

[Cook]

Are your clients wanting a North Carolina hog or a "national barbecue" smoked hog? I ask because you are in a traditional barbecue region. I'm sure you ask those questions when making the reservations...but a pig picking in this region is way different than some smoked hog (racer style or not).

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Are your clients wanting a North Carolina hog or a "national barbecue" smoked hog? I ask because you are in a traditional barbecue region. I'm sure you ask those questions when making the reservations...but a pig picking in this region is way different than some smoked hog (racer style or not).

I haven't discussed it yet because I have so little experience with whole hogs in general. While I'm in eastern NC 99% of my clientele are military members, and a large majority of them aren't from here and don't like the eastern NC style of BBQ.

I'm really just looking to become confident with cooking a whole pig, and from there I can start experimenting with different styles / regional flavors.

 

[gtr]

I consider myself experienced...and I thank you for leaving the belly alone...I want it all! LoL

And I thank you for leaving the cheeks to me! :hungry:

 

[nachos4life]

What kind of temps are you running? I posted a few months ago about doing a 225° hog cook and lots of people told me to raise it to 300° to get the skin reasonably crispy. I was stubborn and just wanted to do a low and slow hog and it didn't work out well.

Malcom Reed's video on the CTO-DW was really good and what I used for reference. I also used a bit of Eric Thomas's video from "The Rolling Grill BBQ" and it helped in the prep work.

Probably about 300 or 325 or so.

 

[Cook]

And I thank you for leaving the cheeks to me! :hungry:

Oh hell naw! I've even been known to cut the tongue out and partake. LoL