To smoke a whole pig, it has become an easy and simple thing to do now.
If you wish to take your barbecue time to apex level, then try out smoking a pig. In this single recipe, there incorporate lots of variables.
Like, you have to consider the pig size, smoker design and also weather, wood conditions to carry out this cooking job. Let us have a look at the steps now:
Preparation Of The Pig For Cooking
Firstly, you have to prepare your pig for this specific cooking time. Make sure that you remove and eliminate unpleasant parts of it.
What you can do is to take a metal washtub. Fill it with water. Boil it and place your pig in it.
Pour all the boiling water on that pig and shave off its hair. Go for a careful incision. Furthermore, remove unnecessary organ meats from it.
One should only cook the pig's fat, skin as well as muscle. Moreover, make an effort to keep the pigskin as much intact as you can.
After that, you can inject and emboss apple liquid right into the pig hams and shoulders.
Priming The Pit Or Smoker
The second step is to prime your pit. That pit needs to be of sufficiently sized all according to your pig size.
Keep in mind that the cook should be lining the bottom section of the pit. Do that with the help of wood. Or you can even use heated charcoal.
After that, you can place and keep the grate. Once your pit is ready and you have primed it.
Now, you can lower your pig into it. Your pig face should be down and keep its skin up.
If you want to keep and put more of the heat source right under its shoulders and hams, you can do that as well.
Fueling The Smoker To Cook The Pigs
To fuel your smoker, you are free to burn charcoal. In addition, you can boost the amount of smoke with the help of wood chunks.
Some cooks like to use wood chips. If using wood chips, then always soak and emboss them in water for 30 minutes.
Do add enough number of logs to maintain the level of heat. Only then, your smoker will be able to generate immense smoke.
Regulate The Temperature And Heat
If you are smoking a pig, then it will be going to take around 1 to 1 1/2 hours on the condition if you have got 10 pounds of pig.
Furthermore, if your pig is of 50-pounder, then its cooking time will be 5 to 7 hours. For a 180-pounder, its smoking time needs 18 hours.
Most noteworthy, the ideal cooking temperature setting and range is from 195°F to 205°F. If the temperature rise unexpectedly, then you need to lower the temperature of your smoker.
There is another rule, the larger the pig in size, it means the lower the heat settings you need to go for so that the exterior of pig does not get burned.
Applying A Flavorful Mop Sauce
The last step is to mop and finish your pig with some flavorful mop sauce. Do this application after every 30 minutes.
Some like to cover their pig ears with the help of foil after every 2 or 3 hours as they cook more quickly.
Removing Pig From The Smoker
When you see that your pig is perfectly smoked, then you are allowed to take it out from the smoker.
Take help from the metal hooks and carefully lift your pig. Transfer it on the dish where you want to! To serve this dish with bbq sauces as well as yellow mustard.
You will love the taste of it if you have it with vinegar sauce. To make your serving easier and hassle-free, you can cut down the ribs completely into individual bones.
Chop them with the use of a heavy cleaver and serve it with some tasty and immensely delicious Carolina-style kind of vinegar sauce.
Bonus Tip While Smoking A Pig
During this process of the smoking process, the pigskin turns out to become tough and leathery.
What you can do is to pull it off, scrape it away and finally discard the excess amount of fat. You can also deep-fry the skin in some hot oil.
Conclusion:
Lastly, for this smoking and grilling job, as a precautionary measure, always wear the Best Grilling Gloves. We suggest you these GRILL ARMOR GLOVES.
They are made of heat-resistant fabric and does not catch fire when exposed to intense flames.
And their inside layer is made pf 100% Cotton to make your hands comfortable and sweat-free. So, start to smoke a pig and keep tuned with us.