Questions for whole hog/pig

va_connoisseur · 04-23-2013, 07:41 AM

Fellow Smokers,

I am doing a smoke for my cigar shop on 8 June. They want a pig and I have a question for those whole smoke whole hog skin side down. I am curious if the meat gets greasy from all the juices collecting in the cavity? Do you siphon off the liquid before picking the meat? If so, how?

I have done a few hogs racer style on a split drum. This will be my first on my reverse flow. It will be ~85 pounds.

captndan · 04-23-2013, 07:53 AM

Never heard of skin side down from those in the know.

jimstocks53 · 04-23-2013, 08:18 AM

Mryon Mixon gives details of whole hog skin side down but he places a whole packer beneath the back bone to temper the cooking of the strap muscles.

Mahoney86 · 04-23-2013, 08:19 AM

I know quite a few people who prefer skin side down and say its much better as you know longer have to worry about turning the pig and it creates a much juicer pork due to the skin keeping all of the juices inside. Ive personally never done a whole hog, but plan to this summer so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Zig · 04-23-2013, 08:39 AM

Thats the way I do mine. 200#, skin down, 250 deg for 10-12 hrs.

va_connoisseur · 04-23-2013, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zig

Thats the way I do mine. 200#, skin down, 250 deg for 10-12 hrs.

That's a quick cook time. I was thinking it would take at least that long for the size pig (85-100 pounds) that I was planning on doing. I am using a reverse flow Lang clone. Will that slow the process?

MAP · 04-23-2013, 09:02 AM

130 pound hog on a lang 84 cooked skin side down at 250 takes me about 17 to 18 hours.

Zig · 04-23-2013, 09:14 AM

For my whole hogs I use a Sikes cooker. It has a offset burner and water under the meat. I put the pig on and cook it over night. 12 hours is the max I have ever needed and the meat pulls with your hands, no chopping.

va_connoisseur · 04-23-2013, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAP

130 pound hog on a lang 84 cooked skin side down at 250 takes me about 17 to 18 hours.

A 130 ponder on a Lang 84 should leave a lot of room for additional smoking. I think the 100pounder is going to max me out. I am sized between a 48 and 60.

CarolinaQue · 04-23-2013, 10:15 AM

I think that your estimated time is about right at 250*. And I agree that skin side down is the way to go.

MAP · 04-23-2013, 10:43 AM

Cooked one for a contest this weekend and it took ALL of the 18 hours that I had alotted, the weather was horribale though.

K80Shooter · 04-23-2013, 11:03 AM

Skin side down is the only way I've ever done it. Moist, tasty and out of this world good. To get rid of the juice's before picking just cut at the ribs to allow it to drain.

CarolinaQue · 04-23-2013, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAP

Cooked one for a contest this weekend and it took ALL of the 18 hours that I had alotted, the weather was horribale though.

How big was the pig?

MAP · 04-23-2013, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolinaQue

How big was the pig?

130 pounds

cottonquick · 04-23-2013, 04:02 PM

I cook them laying (skin down) and on average it is going to be 18 hours for a hog that's 135-145 dressed. That's normally the size I cook. Prepping them is the key getting things done correctly.

04-23-2013, 07:41 AM	#1
va_connoisseur Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-11-08 Location: DC Metro	Questions for whole hog/pig Fellow Smokers, I am doing a smoke for my cigar shop on 8 June. They want a pig and I have a question for those whole smoke whole hog skin side down. I am curious if the meat gets greasy from all the juices collecting in the cavity? Do you siphon off the liquid before picking the meat? If so, how? I have done a few hogs racer style on a split drum. This will be my first on my reverse flow. It will be ~85 pounds. __________________ [LIST][]250 gallon, custom reverse flow smoker with warming cabinet aka Hawg Coffin[]120 gallon reverse flow aka Hog Coffin (retired)[] 22 and 18.5 WSM[]Known as Spatulaman[*]Owner of Plate BBQ LLC[/LIST]

04-23-2013, 08:39 AM	#5
Zig Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 04-03-12 Location: Chambersburg,Pa	Thats the way I do mine. 200#, skin down, 250 deg for 10-12 hrs. __________________ Zigs Pig BBQ Team, KCBS, CBJ

04-23-2013, 09:02 AM	#7
MAP Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-31-12 Location: Great Mills, Md	130 pound hog on a lang 84 cooked skin side down at 250 takes me about 17 to 18 hours. __________________ Mike - New Revolution Q, Deep South GC28, 22 WSM X3.

04-23-2013, 09:14 AM	#8
Zig Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 04-03-12 Location: Chambersburg,Pa	For my whole hogs I use a Sikes cooker. It has a offset burner and water under the meat. I put the pig on and cook it over night. 12 hours is the max I have ever needed and the meat pulls with your hands, no chopping. __________________ Zigs Pig BBQ Team, KCBS, CBJ

04-23-2013, 10:15 AM	#10
CarolinaQue is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 06-23-07 Location: North Berwick, ME	I think that your estimated time is about right at 250*. And I agree that skin side down is the way to go. __________________ Tim [COLOR=darkred]“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”[/COLOR] - Mark Twain - Beautiful family - Home made trailer mounted reverse flow offset w/ vertical chamber, Weber OTG and an ECB

04-23-2013, 07:53 AM	#2
captndan Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-29-11 Location: Greeneville TN	Never heard of skin side down from those in the know.

04-23-2013, 08:18 AM	#3
jimstocks53 Take a breath! Join Date: 02-05-13 Location: Tyler, TX	Mryon Mixon gives details of whole hog skin side down but he places a whole packer beneath the back bone to temper the cooking of the strap muscles.

04-23-2013, 08:19 AM	#4
Mahoney86 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-19-13 Location: NJ	I know quite a few people who prefer skin side down and say its much better as you know longer have to worry about turning the pig and it creates a much juicer pork due to the skin keeping all of the juices inside. Ive personally never done a whole hog, but plan to this summer so take what I say with a grain of salt.

04-23-2013, 10:43 AM	#11
MAP Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-31-12 Location: Great Mills, Md	Cooked one for a contest this weekend and it took ALL of the 18 hours that I had alotted, the weather was horribale though. __________________ Mike - New Revolution Q, Deep South GC28, 22 WSM X3.

04-23-2013, 11:03 AM	#12
K80Shooter Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 10-20-12 Location: Hartwell, GA	Skin side down is the only way I've ever done it. Moist, tasty and out of this world good. To get rid of the juice's before picking just cut at the ribs to allow it to drain. __________________ X-Large Big Green Egg-Hatched 12-15-2011, Custom Assassin 28 In Cayenne Red Pearl 9-12-2015

04-23-2013, 04:02 PM	#15
cottonquick Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 03-26-13 Location: Fork, MS	I cook them laying (skin down) and on average it is going to be 18 hours for a hog that's 135-145 dressed. That's normally the size I cook. Prepping them is the key getting things done correctly.