i was wondering what some of you do when BBQing young lean pigs to make up for the lack of fat on the animal. thanks for any ideas.

Boy, I wish I had this problem!

Lora has a couple of recipes that work out really great.

She has came up with a seasoning rub mix she coats the carcass with and then wraps the carcass in bacon, wraps the whole thing in aluminum foil and cooks it in a pit covered in coals until you can smell the cooked meat.

It comes out great.

For smaller pigs, those that dress out 3 to 5 pounds, cut them up like a rabbit, season the meat, roll in flour and fry like chicken. Damn Tasty.

thankyou for the reply Crazyhorse. Bill that was funny.

Lora (yes Randall's Lora) also told me you can skin and gut them and cut them in half. Stick the back half in the chest cavity. Either bacon wrap after season rub or use olive oil. Put this in foil and put it on the smoker. Sounds good to me.

On small pigs, I've cooked the whole pig.


Kill, gut, skin and remove the feet at the ankles or knees/elbows and head just forward of the shoulgers.
Season liberally w/ season salt, black pepper. Add a bit of garlic powder and/or onion powder. You can also use Tony's, but I would suggest you start w/ the lite version.

I then put it on a hot (usu) Mesquite fire---w/ alot of smoke--pretty good size and HOT---but not over the fire. Let it cook ap15-30 min, each side. Move it a bit to sear the hams and shoulders
Then, take it off and wrap it in heavy foil.
Let the fire cook down, then put it back on the pit for several hours.
When you unwrap the foil, the bones should be able to be pulled from the seasoned, sweet meat.
Good luck w/ the piglets !

quote:

On small pigs, I've cooked the whole pig.

We cook the whole pig, but skip the step of putting the pig on an actual fire. We end up with the same results, meat falling off the bones like pulled pork.

The seasoning mix Lora makes up is tasty, but not overly spicy due to her allergy to capsaicin. People do not seem to mind not having a crispy skin.

Experiment, there are no "Set" rules and there are plenty of pigs to experiment on.

I too wish I had this problem

The one I got about 40 minutes after sundown today is just right for what you guys are talking about. This one will be prepared similar to what Randall describes and will be double-battered and deep-fried -- and served alongside warm buttered biscuits and creamy peppered country gravy...

Damn, you guys outta be ashamed of yourselves killing the babies!! Yep, wish I had one or six about that size right now.
Enjoy!
Bobby, good for you pard.
George

Lean hogs on the braai or spit, apart from the spices of choice, I used to baste with lard and alternated with a salt solution.

Bobby, you surely do get your share of pork!
Doug, that sounds great too.
Only whole pig I ever cooked I used the "Three Guys From Miami" Cuban Christmas pig recipe, soaking/injecting Señor Puerco with a lime/orange/garlic mojo the night before he went on the cooker. Muy bueno!

A Cuban cooker , with it's indirect heat would work well .You can buy or DIY for the cooker .
Pork is always happy with fruit so injected or marinade ,or brushed with your choice of lime, lemon,pineapple would especially good for young ones !!

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
A Cuban cooker , with it's indirect heat would work well .You can buy or DIY for the cooker .
Pork is always happy with fruit so injected or marinade ,or brushed with your choice of lime, lemon,pineapple would especially good for young ones !!

Yes Sir!
Over the years I've slopped lopped chopped braised broiled boiled rotisseried smoked deep pitted etc. etc. etc...
My favorite method now is the La Caja China Roaster Box.
I like the #2 box that does whole split hogs from 1 lb to 100/110 lbs live weight.
Here's a lean, mean 72# farm raised we did with a dry rub this past weekend for our annual family reunion.


Here's a pic of the #2 100lb box

I actually built the Three Guys' roaster using concrete block and sandwiching Señor Puerco between two iron grates. He was done to a turn, with crackling crisp skin, in about five hours.

http://cuban-christmas.com/pigroast2.html

Yum!


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