URGENT Whole Pige advice needed

I have never cook a whole hog, but I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night...

I can tell you I would inject it like I do my butts, & i know Myron Mixon cooks his skin side down so the skin acts like a bowl & hold the juices in, & he's won MIM how many times???

There would be no need to season the skin side just the inside of the hog.

Hi, I tried to do a whole small pig over Memorial weekend. I was going to pit roast it. It ended up raining all weekend and I ended up quartering it and cooking it over a two day period on an UDS. I put two quarters on at a time and at 225-230 it took about 10 hours. This little pig dressed out at about 30 pounds. Mine came skinned, so I put rub on it. I pulled it at 190 and foiled it for a couple of hours and then pulled it. Warmed it up the following day in an aluminum pan with a little apple juice. Came out tender and juicy. Made some barbeque sauce and served it up as sliders with some hog apple beans. Everyone liked it a lot. It was my first try at it and I was happy with the results. Hopefully this will help a little.

Easiest way is to inject it -- lots of injection, way down along the bone, in the loins, in the tender loins (thought they'll be small in that size pig). Lift the skin away from the shoulder and hams and get a good handful of rub in there. Season the inside of the pig liberally. If it's butterflied, I'd cook it cavity up...and lay a piece of foil in the cavity. Temps are up to you -- 250 would be fine (I am a high heat heretic but would still keep the temps below 300 for this size pig. Check temps in the hams and shoulders -- use foil to shield the ribs and loin. Oh yeah, don't forget to oil up and heavily salt the skin!! Good luck. Ought to be some good eats!

Oil the skin and cook skin side down. Kinda holds the juice in like mentioned before. I put rub on the inside and spray with apple juice every once in awhile. I think its more forgiving than a pork butt. Just my opinion

Almost forgot. Put my temp probe in the shoulder and took it to 185

I say go for the Mojo.

Out here in the NC area we do a bunch of whole hogs.They produce a Q you can only get going whole hog! I love it ! I have not cooked in a S W but I like to go skin side down. Flavor like you would a butt to keep things inline with what you are used to. The hams will take the longest so keep an eye on the shoulders and the hams . If you have to go high "200-205 " on the shoulders to hit 190 in the ham you are ok. I have seen folks cook a 125 # pig at 310*f for no more than 8 hours and turn out good Q. It is simple , dont let it mess you up just because you have never cook a pig , you will do just fine.

Rick

inject!

inject as much as the meat will hold!
We cook skin up but wrap it in chicekn wire to keep it tight..
This allows fat to render out and keep from pooling.
Rub the entire cavity, and lossen skin on the hams, shoulders, and rub as much as you can press into those areas. Start out cooler 235-250 and smoke heavy for at least the first 3-4 hours. then turn it up to 285 or so to finish.
Should be ready to pull at 285 or so.

good luck!