Expert: BBQ Woman - 11/16/2011

Question
Hey, so we have a pretty ambitious plan for thanksgiving. We are going to be doing 5 birds stuffed inside a pig.

30 pound pig is going to have

10pound turkey
5-6 chicken
4-5pound duck
cornish hen
quail

all stuffed with bacon and crossaint stuffing and then cooked in the over for 6-7 hours. the next day we plan to stuff the bird into the pig and either spit it or smoke it. Now the problem I have is that I neither have a spit or a smoker. What would you recommend as a cooking method? (we will make a make shift spit with a steel barrel) and or use a big grill and put the coals on one side to smoke it. How do I control the temperature of the coals?? how long should I cook the pig with the birds(cooked) for and how do I keep the coals hot for 6-7 hours? Any help or guidance you can provide will be very beneficial. Thanks,

Rick

Answer
Hi Rick,
I have never made what you are making but it sounds good. I think I can still help throw some ideas on how to cook it successfully. How you control the temperature is via a flue that controls the air flow to the fire.  You would put a thermometer on the lid portion of your make shift spit to see the actual temperature.

If your barrel is big enough I would have coals on both sides and a large drip pan in the center. Depending on personal preference you can add water, apple juice or a mixture of liquids and seasonings to add to the flavor of meat and keep it moist.

If one side is getting done faster foil it.

Make sure the pig is secure so it isn't falling apart as it cooks.

You might have to add more coal and hardwoods as it cooks.

Check internal temp in allot of places to make sure it's totally done.

When I do whole pigs I like to get some heavy duty foil and cover a table completely in foil and have the pig placed on this table. It will serve as a carving station. Hand a few people knives and put them to work.

What your doing really sounds delicious I would love to. See it when it's done.

I hope I gave you some ideas. If you have more questions feel free to ask.

Happy holiday grilling!
Regards,
Misty