Expert: John Langenfelder - 11/6/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a very large (500gal) smoker, very stable temp, heat
offset to each side of the bullet, exhaust out the top
center.  I am going to smoke a 40lb pig and I know it will
come out with great meat inside.  We want a crunchy, crispy
skin to eat with the pork.  This is my first pig and it
seems that all the ones i have seen smoked yield a leathery
skin.  Any suggestions on how to get a crispy, edible skin
on a smoker?  Thank you.

Paul

ANSWER: Paul,

Sorry, but it just won't happen.  The only way to get a crispy, crunchy skin would be on direct heat.  Smoking is just too low heat. If you had a rotisserie set up and were cooking over a direct fire, you would probably get the skin you want.  The way I end up doing it, is as I remove the skin to pull the meat, I cut it into strips and put in on a gas grill to crisp it.  You need to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn up. Another way is to do it in the oven (more control, less chance of it burning) or do it in a frying pan.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thought not.  Ok, behind the smoker is a smaller box smoker
where I can put coals on the bottom applying direct heat.  
What if I put the pig over the direct coals/wood?  If I did
that, about how long till the skin got where it needed to?  
Should I then move it over to the smoker or just cook it
over the coals at reduced temperature?  or should i smoke it
first and then grill it?  And by the way, thank you for your
first answer!

Answer
I think all you will do is ruin the pig.  If you cooked it first, I would think that the skin would still become leathery because of the smoking process.  Trying to do it afterward will result in the pig falling apart as you move it around. So unless you have the pig wrapped in chicken wire, I wouldn't recommend it. You would have to have a pretty pig firebox to get a 40 lb pig in it anyway.

A lot of this depends on how you cook you pig.  If you cook your pig on a grate either butterflied or upright, no matter what you do, I don't think it will work.  
If you cook a pig wrapped in chicken wire (or some other similar wire) that keeps the pig from falling apart, then you may have more success moving it around.