Need Some Help Smoking a half hog on propane cooker!!

[lashing1c]

Got a friend throwing a huge party and he wants to do a Half hog 110 lb. again this year. Last year he was able to purchase the hog and the use of the propane cooker to cook it. We were able to get the meat done and people liked it but I thought it was missing a few things. First he did not season it at all and had to throw the meat on before I got there.. Second, I really think it would be great to get some smoke flavor in the meat.

The questions I have are the following:

How would you season it. I have seen just salt used on the skin/fat. I have also seen using differet kinds of rub. My go to rub is Butt Glitter recipe I got from here. I just wondering if I would be wasting that trying rub a whole hog.

Second, any ideas on getting some smoke flavor. Could I start a charcoal pan with some wood chunks? and just place in the bottom of the smoker. Or is that more trouble than it is worth.

Any ideas would be helpful but we will have to use the propane cooker no matter what.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[DLax96]

I'm far from an expert, but I have used a propane cooker to do whole hogs before. On the smoke, you can put some charcoal up at the shoulder end and put chunks in there. I've done it up on the grate, because that's where it fit and because it's not a bad thing to get the shoulder end hotter than the ham end. If you have one, an A-MAZE-N pellet tube works well too, you just have to make sure it's good and lit or it will go out.

On the rub, I was taught to just salt the skin and put the rub on in the cavity. I don't see any reason not to use your go-to rub...hopefully one of the actual pros can give you more definitive advice than me, but for what it's worth it's worked well for me.

 

[BaronVonOttomatic]

Depending on how much time you have brining the hog will improve the flavor, or injecting it with mixture of apple juice and soy or Worcestershire or whatever you like.

For smoke you can use a pan with some hardwood sawdust or chips over the burner somewhere.

 

[IamMadMan]

Like the others said above ^

Salt and pepper are essential to flavor..... A very heavy coat of rub to the inside would work as well.

Injecting the pig keep the white meats moist and adds a lot of flavor.

Mopping the pig internally also adds flavor in the home stretch.

With a propane smoker you will be a little shy on smoke flavor, if you could add wood chunks, or as indicated above.. Adding a pellet tube or two will give you some smoke flavor.

Your other option is a temporary cinder block pit with a corrugated piece of sheet metal to hold the heat and smoke it. It is more work to maintain the coals and strategically locate them under the pig.

However I would not use this block pit for the first time with feeding a large group. Maybe practice with a couple butts with friends and family. The downside here is the fact that the fire needs constant attention and you will not be able to sleep.