Whole Hog Help

[Back9Q]

Just completed all modifications on the OKJ Longhorn RF and she is seasoned. Able to maintain Left to right temperature 10-15 degrees which I am happy with.

I am doing a wild hog in the next few weeks and need some assistance on sizing. Cant really find any whole hogs done on a longhorn online. Plan to do head and feet off and not sure if doing on back or racer style just yet. Any idea what size would fit on a 40x19 grate. I did a 52lber in a GMG Jim Bowie few years ago and believe that grate was 35" long and not as deep. I was hoping to get a 70-80lb hanging weight on there but dont want to sacrifice air flow.

Also any differences in cooking wild hog vs farm? Temp,taste,injection,preferred wood, etc..?

Thanks

 

[drallan81]

I can't really help with hog size for your rig. I've done a dozen or so, but mine is a basic roaster style 275gal tank (think portable cinderblock pit). I always get them from an amish farm near by and they come out great. I cook hot around 300 (275-325) and have never had any problems, but I also do bigger 90-120lb hanging, so a smaller pig might need lower temps. I have always found there is more than enough fat and skin to keep things from drying out. I did the low and slow first few and then one year temps ran away on me. Everything came out just as good, just cooked a lot faster. Its what I've done ever since. Since mine isn't a stick burner I use primarily lump charcoal. I'll throw on wood chunks, but found the skin is so thick that little smoke flavor makes its way into the meat other than the exposed parts in the cavity.

I tried injection and rubs in the past and found it didn't really add much other than work. I do periodically rub the pig down with veg oil throughout the cook. It helps keep the skin from cracking and gives it a nice color. Only thing I do to prep is cover in coarse kosher salt. I always do racing style. Find it presents better and keeps from drying out.

Big tip, especially if getting freshly slaughter is to have plenty of ice and a big enough cooler. Make sure to stuff the cavity with ice to cool it down quickly. Maybe even make an ice water bath. Heat is your enemy and it will help draw out some of the blood. Also, if doing racing style, make sure to position in cooler how you want it to cook. Once rigor sets in, repositioning the pig is hard to do.

Last tip, if you want to do the apple in mouth at the end, put a block of wood in mouth before/during cook. It will keep the mouth open and let you put in an apple at the end. If you cook with apple it will turn to mush.

I try to cook to at least 185-190 deg in the thickest part of hams/shoulders. They will hold there for a while so finishing early isn't a problem.

 

[mowin]

Wild shouldn't cook any faster than a domestic hog. I do my pigs on a 250g reverse flow stick burner. I do find injecting helps in my style of cooking. I normally cook mine butterflied. Start skin up for the first few hrs. I usually cut a couple heads of cabbage in half and put them under the loins/ bellies as a buffer for the heat as they cook fast. I remove them after flipping to skin down. I cook to 180° min in the shoulders. If done early it will hold for quite awhile if I keep my pit at 150°.