Question I will be cooking a 50 lb pig on a spit in early October (Canadian Thanksgiving)and have never done such a thing. Is there any secret to it? I would love to here any advice or instuctions on this.
Answer Hi,
Some of my tips are that no matter how tempting it is to rush the cooking process do not do it. Start out slow roasting your pig at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for the first two hours. The reason for this is so that the outer layers of the pig do not get done too fast which would prevent the inside of the pig from getting done.
Allow about 1 hours cooking time for every 10 pounds of pig. Since your pig is 50 pounds this would mean you should start checking your pig for doneness with a meat thermometer after 4 hours and keep checking. When your pig reaches 165 to 170 degrees it is done! Don't be alarmed if your pig takes longer than 5 hours as sometimes it happens.
Make sure to secure your pig tightly to the rotisserie. I like to use chicken wire to give it added support. You do not want your pig to fall in the fire and it will shrink as it cooks so always check to make sure its still secure.
Flare ups in the fire usually happen during the first couple of hours of cooking time. Just use a spray bottle to put them out. Also keeping a drip pan in the grill helps keep flare ups down and you can use the drippings to baste the pig throughout the cooking process.
If you are keeping the head on foil the ears and tail so they don't char. The loin area will get done faster so when you see it getting done cover it with foil or lower the fire over the loin area.
Allow the done pig to sit for a half hour before you attempt to carve it.
Have a couple pairs of thick latex type gloves on hand for carving the pig. It generally goes allot faster when 2 people are doing it.
Refrain from using sauces with a sugar base during the first 4 hours of cooking time. Sugar based marinades and sauces tend to burn the pig on a spit so its better to hold off on using those until the pig is starting to get to the point of almost done and use them for caramelizing the skin. Its not necessary yet some people like to do that.
You can use your favorite non sugar marinades and seasonings throughout the cooking process. Maybe you can ask other family members for their secret sauce to use for the special holiday?
If you are using charcoal plan to use at least 30 pounds of it. Don't use lighter fluid or self lighting charcoals use lump charcoal.
If using a gas grill you can easily adjust the temperatures accordingly after the first two hours. Remember the ham side can cook hotter than the loin side since it takes longer for the ham to get done.
If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.
I think its great you chose the smaller pig its going to be so good!
