"How To" On Pig Pickin' "Southern Style"

 Have you ever been to a "Pig Pickin' Party"? Down here in the South, this is a local tradition. Heck far' rednecks scatter throughout their neck of the woods to go to a good Pig Pickin'!

Listed below are some instructions & tips, so you, can have one of your very own! No matter where you live......

Pig Pickin' Time:

• The 1st step is choosing your pig! You can cook a whole hog or a sow...it's up to you my friend...
• A good weight to keep in mind should be around 75 to 125 pounds dressed & all!
• Choices: 1. You can choose to split the hog in half & cook it on a big propane or charcoal grill, 2. or in a large stove & use old hickory or an oak wood chips to add flavor, 3. or the campfire pit rotissirie style cooked pig. (I prefer to cook over an open fire & turn the pig & throw in some hickory charwood for the flavoring.)
• The roasting begins with the meat-side down & this will allow most of the fat dripping to cook off & that can later be used to make homemade pork cracklings or skins......
• You will want to baste this critter with your preference style sauce. This can range from a sauce that has more of a mustard, ketchup, vinegar, honey, & other sauce preference. I'll list a few below...( I use Jack Daniels, honey, tomato sauce, minced jalapenas, garlic, salt, pepper, & sweet baby rays sauce all mixed up real good!)
• Every 10 to 15 minutes you can turn the pig on the rotissirie or whatever choice you chose to cook the critter.
• How do you know when its done? When the meat has become so tender that you can pull it off by hand,,,,,it's done!
• This can be served with so many side items such as cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad, hash, rice, vegetables, or whatever your choice may be.....Definitely, goes well with Beer or Tea! (We drink sweet tea down here & plenty of beer when cooking these critters.)

Pig Pickin' is a tradition in other parts of the world as well, such as Cuba, Hawaii, & other places & then use terms like a "Pig Roast" & the Cajuns in Louisiana use the term "Boucherie"

Note:

We typically, hunt them in nearby woods for cooking but you can go to your local butcher & buy a gutted hog or sow with the hair already removed & clean, ready to cook!

Tips:

• If you are going to purchase a clean & gutted hog from your local butcher, Call them a day ot two before you are going to cook the critter. A good butcher will usually have one thawing out for you when you pick it up. This will help if you want to marinade it overnight before cooking him.
• Depending on the size of your hog, you may want to use a meat injector to enhance the flavor!
• Remember! to continiously baste this rascal during the whole cooking time to get that carmelized glaze & texture. Makes it so much more yummy!
• Also, depending on the size you may want to wrap some twine around your pig to keep it in place, sometimes, the meat will get so tender that the meat will just start falling off! After, you have done this a time or two you will know when it's time to dig in! However, if you use a firepit, stove oven, or grill, this shouldn't be a problem....

Where to buy accessories!

http://www.mcreynoldsfarms.com/

http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com/pig-roast.html

More tips for cooking a pig,

http://www.askthemeatman.com/roasting_a_whole_hog_in_3_steps.htm

 

A Typical Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:-

•  2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tablespoons tomato purée
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
• 1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ pint water

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Big Daddy's Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

These are all fantastic sauces to try as well.........

Hope this hub was helpful & Happy Pig Pickin'!

Thanks for visiting....

Michael Gladden