Have you ever roasted a whole pig?

[Rozzie]

Roast....pig. Guinea pig, that is...

 

[billvelek]

I'm designing a large cooker/smoker for catering which will use a 'cage' rotisserie, i.e., the hog will be completely surrounded by bars. I want it to have maximum capacity, and able to roast a BIG whole hog for festivals and such. I'm trying to find out the average dimensions of whole hog carcasses for a few maximum weights. I need to know the average dimensions for the dressed weights of ... 200#, ... 250#, ... and 300#. And 'yes', I've figured out how to load and unload a hog that big, even when hot. If possible, I'd like to know:

length from nose to tail, ...

height when it is lying on its belly, ...

width ... across the shoulders, or hips, or head -- which ever is widest.

I've searched all over the Internet for a LONG time without any success, so if anyone can ... PLEASE help. I'd like the above information for each of the dressed weights of 200#, 250#, and 300#.

Thanks in advance.

Bill Velek

 

[thaiturkey]

I Googled around and it seems that dressed pigs are described only by weight. Probably the dimensions vary quite a lot anyway. Perhaps your local family butcher or slaughter house could give you the average dimensions you need. Take the average and add a percentage for good measure, perhaps.

 

[oldrooster]

We do the same as WI and SD does also the first time I was at a hog roast was in SD at a family reunion about 100 folks there and the neighbor had a pig get hurt in an accident and had no space in the freezer so my Aunt and Uncle stepped in got the hog for a little less than market price to help them out of a tight jam and the family through together the sides and desserts and we had a great time and a great roast. Thankfully the guy next door called them early trying to pawn off the pig it made foe an easier time of him getting rid of it and it helped his neighbor too.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I've seen hogs that were sandwiched between chain link to create a "rotisserie cage".

 

[duckinnut]

I've seen hogs that were sandwiched between chain link to create a "rotisserie cage".

Check this out.

Its called Cuban Style. There is a sister grate that matches up to the one you see that the pig was on we started it skin side down. Just sandwich it, flip and remove top grate. Put the canopy over it and done in 6-8 hours pending on the size of the pig.

That's how you do it son.

 

[Nslangton]

We do one almost every year. We use an old oil tank that was cut in half. It is filled with about 50 lbs of charcoal on the bottom. Pig sits on top. Lid is closed and in the morning it is done. Perfect every time. No turning needed; however the men seem to watch over it and test out the kegs at the same time.

 

[duckinnut]

We use indirect heat with the coals piled in the corners. You can have a spit roasted one, they are way more work than they are worth. The flare ups, gets burnt to a crisp and falls apart no matter what you do.

 

[FarmGirl01]

We use a cinder block pit just like the one you pictured. I'm ready for another one. YUM!!!

 

[duckinnut]

We use a cinder block pit just like the one you pictured. I'm ready for another one. YUM!!!

If you are in Mass on Labor Day you are more than welcome.

Gonna fry up a couple turkeys this year too, some people just can't get past the whole pig thing and won't eat it.

That's OK more for me.