You are here:

Barbecue/smoking whole pig

Advertisement

Expert: - 10/28/2008


Question

smoker
Hi John I will be smoking a 50lb pig for thanksgiving. I have a custom homebuilt wood burning smoker using pecan and hickory wood. Do I need to inject spices into the meat in order to get good flavoring. I have cooked a 70 lb pig in the past and used olive oil and rubbed with spices but did not get any flavor into the meat. Any help would be very much appreciated. Here is a picture of the smoker I will be using.

Answer
Marvin,

NICE COOKER!!

It generally very difficult to get additional flavor into a hog unless you remove the skin.  I have tried injecting (about 16 oz of a vinegar based marinade), but never really tasted anything but the hog.  Perhaps injecting it and leaving it sit overnight may help, but I've never done that.  In my experience, just leave it be.  It tastes great as it is.  What I have been doing is adding a foil pan of apple juice to the cooker which helps keep the meat moist and imparts some flavor from the juice and I also add some rub to the juice.  In  my cooker (a meadow creek pr60), the pan sits under the hog on top of the grease drip pan which is between the fire and hog.  This allows the juice to steam up under the pig.

I also use mostly hickory with some cherry.  They claim that fruit wood gives a darker more deep red color.  To me, I think it just depends on the hog.
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentThanks for the tip john. I think using the foil pan with apple juice and rub will do the trick.


  • View Follow-Ups
  • Add to this Answer
  • Ask a Question

John Langenfelder

Expertise

I can generally answer most questions relating to BBQ, smoked meats, choosing meats, grilled meats, spices, rubs, sauces, grills, cookers, smokers, wood, charcoal and food preparation.

Experience

I have been cooking and smoking meats for over 40 years (yep, even as a child). I am a BBQ competitor and certified judge.

Organizations
KCBS

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Barbeques Science B.S. from the Greasehouse University by the facilities of the Pitmasters College by the K.C. Baron of Barbeque
Check out my website at www.mdpigroaster.com

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.