Faking a whole hog cook

[BuffettFan]

I used to cook whole hogs for a now defunct boat club.
It started with a 200lb dressed hog, with a couple fresh hams thrown in because we needed that much meat.
Being in Central Illinois, and also being 30 years ago, we didn't have the Karen's and Ken's who would freak out over seeing a whole hog on the cooker.

As membership dwindled, I started cooking the fresh hams and a belly per ham.
For smaller scale, I found that if you go roughly pound for pound, belly to fresh ham, shredded and mixed, you end up with a finished product nearly indistinguishable from whole hog.
Takes a lot less time, too!

Good luck and post pics of what you decide to cook!

 

[Itsdone]

First time I saw a whole hog cooked wasn't till I was around 40, We don't have that here on the Island, but a N Carolina boat maker came up to one of his good marina customers and had 2 pigs in his own trailered smoker, I was fortunate to be invited!

So the pigs are done and look great, I can't wait to dig in, but what?, the guys proceeded to shred the whole thing into a big mound and then poured vinegar over the whole mess and served it on white hamburger buns.... Sacrilege!!

So to get back on point, just cook and shred a shoulder and post a picture of the cooked hog for looks...

I don't get that. It is more expensive to buy whole hogs versus Picnic shoulders with skin on. They are on sale almost every week here in PA for $0.99/lb. If you are just going to shred it all up its pointless to do whole hog. I have been to a lot of Pig Roasts over the years and they always leave the pig whole and let everyone dig in. They have a bunch of pulled pork from Pork butts/picnic shoulders for people that are afraid to dig there hands in. That's how its done, anything else is Amateur. Sounds like they overcooked the pig and had no choice but to shred and douse it in sauce.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Just to add a bit, whole pig I cook to 165, but a shoulder goes to 185 and beyond. Two totally different textures in the final product.