Whole Hog Roast - Smoking a Whole Hog on an Ole Hickory Smoker
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How to Cook a Whole Pig.
It takes a full day to properly cook a hog, so give yourself plenty of time. The first step in the process is trimming the hog. First move the hog to a sturdy table. Lay the hog back side down, feet up in the air.
Use the dremel and follow the line down the spine slowly cutting through the bone. Now come back with the handsaw to cut through the rest of the bone, be careful not to puncture through the skin.
Now we want to remove the skirt meat and the first 3 or 4 rib bones of the hog so we can expose the shoulders and more of the belly. Just take a sharp knife - starting at the skirt - and trim it away from the spare ribs.
We want the ribs to lay flat in this hog - so they don’t curl up during cooking, and we want to separate the spare ribs from the loin ribs.
At this point it’s time to clean up the whole hog. Use a sharp knife and just start removing anything you don’t want to eat. Silver skin, fat, tough connective tissue.
The last step in the trimming process is removing the legs so the hog fits better on the rack. Just use a sharp knife to score the meat just above the knee joint. Then come back with the hand saw to go through the bone.
Before placing the hog on the rack you will use to cook it, we stage the aluminum foil that we’ll use later for wrapping.
Carefully slide it over onto the rack. Make sure it’s centered and on top of the foil.
The seasoning process starts with injecting. You’ll need about 2 gallons for a 150# hog. Spread the injection sites out about an inch apart over the entire hog. Key in on areas like the ham, loin, belly, underneath the ribs, and shoulders.
When it comes to the dry seasoning, I say use whatever rub you like. The first layer is a good dose of Salt, Black Pepper, and Garlic - my Killer Hogs AP Rub works great here. Then rub a thin coat of yellow mustard. For the next layer I like to use a spicy rub to add some heat - Killer Hogs Hot Rub. Then the last seasoning is for color and a touch of sweetness - Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub.
The loins of the hog tend to cook faster than any other area, so they need a little extra mass (insulation) to slow down the cooking. For this you can stuff breakfast sausage down the backbone and top it with thick slices of bacon.
Before the hog goes on the smoker, spray the skin down with vegetable oil and add a little extra foil around areas of the skin that are exposed.
Now you can fire up the pit and load the hog. It’s easiest to maneuver the hog on a cool pit, so we load it first then add the fire. We’re cooking the hog at 225⁰ until it reaches 190 in the shoulders which should put the hams in the 180 range. It’s done when it’s done, so don’t plan on rushing things.
For the first 6 hours smoke the hog with your favorite wood. I like a blend of hickory, cherry, and pecan.
Every 1 ½ hrs the hog gets basted to prevent it from drying out. The baste I use is simple:
Hog Baste:
- 32oz Italian Dressing
- 32oz Hot Tap Water
- ½ cup The BBQ Rub
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
After 6 hours it’s time to wrap the hog. Before closing the wrap, be sure to place a probe thermometer in the shoulder and ham.
At this point all you have to do is maintain a constant cooking temperature. Add charcoal as needed and Keep the Door Closed.
Once the target internal temps are reached, open the pit and remove the foil. There will be excess moisture in the cavity; dip as much out as possible.
To set a bark on the hog apply a light coat of dry rub over the meat and continue to cook the hog for 10 minutes. For the glaze I use warm BBQ Sauce thinned with a little apple juice. Brush it on the bark and continue to cook the hog for 20-30 minutes to set the glaze.
You can expect a hog this size to yield about 75lb of cooked barbecue.
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