Hog Roasted Whole with BBQ Stew

Got up in the wee hours of the morning last Friday to cook a whole hog in the La Caja China. My Buddy and team mate Sam also helped out. The event was the annual BBQ my company throws for the employees.



The hog weighed 63 pounds. Here it is in the cooker injected with a mix of AJ, WV, salt, and spices with a light layer of rub.



About 4.5 hours later, the hog was ready to serve.



I drafted some help to prep the meat and the whole thing was gone in about 30 minutes.





I also made a pot of some "toothsome" (that's how the old timers described it) barbecue stew. It didn't last long either. An old timer wrote that it isn't done unless the spoon will stand up in the stew by itself. So I made sure it cooked to the correct thickness.



Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was also a lot of fun cooking the hog.

Thanks for looking!

gtr said:

Nice! 'Bout how many folks did you feed?

Also - what are the dimensions of the Caja China?

I have no doubt that the food was fantastic! :hungry:

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There were about 60 people present. The La Caja China dimensions are about 24"x48".

deguerre said:

The La Caja China is a remarkable thing it seems. Beautiful hog! Do you get any smoke flavoring when cooked in one of these?
Oh, and the stew - my dad used to say the same thing about coffee...:biggrin1:

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The lack of smoke is the drawback. I used some Jack's Old South rub in the injection and on the hog that has some smoke flavoring in it in an effort to provide a little smoke flavor.

TBASS said:

Very nice cook. Do you have any details for the stew. Thanks for sharing.

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Here are the details on the stew.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144183

Bob Wiley said:

I can see you have company cred and for good reason.

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A retired Air Force major ate the tail and one ear. A retired Marine Corps major ate the other ear. That was awesome! :laugh: I only wish I had got pics of it all.

I was surprised at how much everyone enjoyed the food. They were raving about it. The La Caja China cooks a good roast hog but it isn't a BBQ hog. I guess that's where my prejudice comes in, though.

MisterChrister said:

Looks great Bo, wish I had a plate full! I bet what the hog lacks in BBQ-ness, it makes up for in ease of cooking!

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Yep, I have to admit, it's a pretty easy way to cook a pig. The hard part is the clean up. The cooker doesn't have a drain. While cleaning it I was thinking it should be renamed the La Caja Pain in the Butt to Clean! :laugh:

Lake Dogs said:

We have debates 'round here about what is "authentic" Brunswick Stew. IMHO, that thar be the REAL authentic stuff, like I make. Well done.

Folks growing up in this area are accustomed to the stew made with "parts", parts you ordinarily wouldn't eat, and everything run through a blender so it comes out as stewed mush. Not stew to me... Certainly not authentic.

Yep on the spoon must stand up, otherwise it's too thin and is Brunswick soup.

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Ah, a true fellow Brunswick Stew lover! :clap2:

cirk said:

There is a smoke attachment for the Box...

http://www.lacajachina.com/Caja-China-Smoker-Pistol-p/lcc-a200.htm

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Thanks, I will have to look into one of those.

First of all, give yourself plenty of time. I cooked a 60 pound hog in this cook. It took about 4.5 hours. It could have gone a little longer but I ran out of time. I have cooked a 100 pound hog (dressed weight) but I had to cut off its head and trotters. It took about 6 hours to finish that one.

Either way, don't expect BBQ pork. It will be good but it won't be BBQ and not all of it will pull and you will have to slice it. It's roasted pork.

You don't really need to worry about temps of the cooker or the meat. Just replenish the charcoal as the directions call for it.

Be VERY careful of the sharp metal the various parts are made from as it will cut human flesh like a razor. Also, the metal edges that line the cooker get very hot. I still have the stripes (scars) on my arm to prove it. When you have to reach inside the cooker to flip the hog, for example, make sure you don't accidentally touch the metal lined edges of the cooker with your arm.

About every hour or so, take a peek at the hog to make sure the color is OK. If it starts to get too dark, place a layer of foil over the pig. It won't slow down the cooking much but will prevent the hog from burning.

It took more than the 30 minutes the instructions claim it takes for the skin of the hog to brown and crisp up after the hog is flipped. So, keep that in mind too.

Get yourself a flat edge shovel and a metal trash can with lid. I have an 18 gallon can with lid that I use. About every hour and a half, you will find that a lot of ash builds up under the charcoal that tends to cool down the fire. Move the charcoal "basket" so that it rests on top of and perpendicular to the handles on the box. Use the shovel to move the excess ash from the lid to the can and replace the charcoal "basket." That's one of the most important things I would recommend. You need a safe way to deal with all of the ash.

Clean up is the worst. There will be a lot of juices that come from the hog. Don't cook over a part of your lawn where you don't want to kill grass. Also, don't cook on a concrete or other surface where you don't want grease stains. After the cook, I put all of the remaining ash and burning charcoal in the metal trash can and put the lid on tight and store it in a safe place that can't cause a fire. I let the cooker cool down and then tackle the grease. If you have a helper, you should be able to pour most of the grease into a trash bag or other container without making too much of a mess. Just keep in mind that the drip pan is flimsy and will twist easily and spill everything when it's picked up. Two people should be able to dump it without a lot of mess though.

And, be careful with the legs. Don't pull or push the wheels over too many bumps and other obstacles. The wood will split. I've had to repair one of mine.

Other than all that, :wink: just follow the directions on the box.

Good luck!