II. A GUIDELINE FOR PURCHASING:
- 75 lb Dressed
Pig = approx. 30 lbs. cooked chopped pork = 50 guests
- 100 lb
Dressed Pig = approx. 40 lbs. cooked chopped pork = 65 guests
- 125
lb Dressed Pig = approx. 50 lbs. cooked chopped pork = 85
guests
- 14 lbs uncooked
shoulder = 10 lbs. cooked 6-7 hours = 10 guests
- 6-7 lbs.
uncooked Boston Butt = 3 lbs. cooked 3 1/2 - 4 hours = 6 guests
- 14
lbs. uncooked ham = 6-7 lbs cooked 6-7 hours = 10-15 guests
III. PICKING YOUR PIG:
Purchase your pig from a state inspected establishment. Typically,
a 7-day notice for a local super market, grocery store or meat
packer is necessary to ensure that your pig is ready when you
need it. Ask
the butcher to remove the eyes and have the pig ready for roasting
when you pick it up.
IV. Items that make the
cook's life easier:
- Meat Thermometer
to ensure 170º Internal Temperature
- "
Burn Barrel" container to start coals in
- Container
of water for possible heat source flare-up.
- Sturdy table
for the "catch-all" items and final carving
- Knife
or cleaver for chopping
- Chopping
block
- Paper Towels
- Plenty
of aluminum foil
- 2 pair of
thick rubber gloves for handling pork - This is a 2 person
job!
- Apron
- Container
for sauce - allow 2 quarts of sauce per 75 pounds of pork.
- Chicken
wire for tying pig to rotisserie spit.
- Extension
cord with UL approval for outdoor use, grounded 3 prong plug
- Pliers
for tightening wire during cooking process
V. PREPPING THE PIG & STUFFING
INFORMATION:
Prepare the pig by washing it inside and out, giving particular
attention to the ears, snout and feet. Place a block
of wood between the jaws
and thoroughly salt the inside of the cavity. If you
wish to stuff the pig, now is the time to do it. Stuff the
pig's
cavity
with whole
Italian sausage links and whole, cleaned fryer chickens,
bread stuffing, sauerkraut or whatever you feel like
putting in there.
Sew the cavity
opening with butcher's string to keep the stuffing in
place during the cooking process.
- Place a
support bar clamp (dog bone) on the spit and tighten.
- Place
a skewer on the spit and tighten
- Run the
spit through the center of the pig, running the skewer into
the pig.
- Place the
second skewer on the spit and secure tightly against the pig.
- Place
the support bar through the bottom of the dog bone clamp.
- Place
the second dog bone clamp over the spit and support bar and
secure
- Tie pig's
feet to the bottom support bar.
- Carefully
anchor all parts of the carcass to the spit by balancing
and securing
it with wires or chicken
wire. This
will require
2 strong people!
- Since the
back and loin area cook most rapidly,
the pig
must be secured
in
such a way that it will
not flop about
and
break as it approaches
doneness. Tie the legs
to the support bar and cover the tail
and ears
with foil to
prevent charring. The
rate
of cooking
can be adjusted
somewhat by varying the
fire - hotter in the ham and shoulder
and medium
in the
loin.
VI. PREPARING
THE FIRE:
The fire (charcoal briquettes) should not be directly
below the spit. We suggest 30 lbs. of charcoal
to start. Do not
use the self starting
type of charcoal. Arrange the charcoal the
length of the pig in two rows, about 12 - 15 inches apart.
Either
position
a
drip pan or lay
a mound of sand directly under the pig to catch
the grease dripping from the pig. Fat dripping in to the
fire can
cause a burst of flame
that could char the outside of the pig. You
will need to add approximately 10 pounds of charcoal per hour
of cooking
time.
It will help if you
have a separate barrel or can to start the
charcoal
in so you are only adding lit charcoals to
the pit.
VII. LOADING THE ROTISSERIE:
- Make sure
the rotisserie is NOT plugged in.
- Put the
hot coal covers in place.
- Set the
mounted pig on the rotisserie frame
- Attach the
rotisserie drive chain and securely tighten the chain by adjusting
the motor and tightening the
knob.
- Place the
chain guard over the drive chain.
- Plug the
motor into a UL approved, outdoor extension cord or outlet.
- Turn
motor on and remove hot coal covers to begin
cooking.
VIII. SAFETY WARNINGS:
To prevent serious injury, the chain guard
must be in place on all M-251, M-250
and M-35 Rotisserie units.
Do NOT operate
these units
without the safety guard in place!
Electric motor must be plugged into a
ground fault protected outlet and if
and extension
cord is necessary,
it must
be a 3-prong, grounded
UL approved for outdoor use extension
cord.
Rotisseries generate extreme heat and
are mechanical devices. Keep children
away at all times.
IX. COOKING THE PIG:
Do not exceed 225º F cooking temperature
for the first two hours of cooking.
Allow 1 hour
of cooking time
per 10 pounds
of pork. An
internal temperature of 170º must be
reached. Have additional coals started
outside the grill,
ready to
be added as
needed, to maintain
the proper temperature.
As the pig roasts, it will shrink,
so have tools handy to tighten the
wires
or chicken
wire. It is also important
to
fill a plastic
bottle or sprinkler with water to put
out any flare-ups among the coals.
Flare-ups are more
frequent during
the first few
hours of
roasting, so this is when the most
attention is required. Basting the
hog is optional.
X. COMING DOWN THE HOME STRETCH:
As the pig nears doneness, place a
meat thermometer, or two of them
to be certain,
in the center
of the "Ham" of
the pig, making sure not to rest the thermometer
against any bone
or spit rod. When
the thermometer registers 165º to 170º,
your pig is ready to transfer to the carving
area.
Let the pig rest for 20
minutes
before carving.
XI. LET THE PARTY BEGIN:
Have a large surface available for
carving such as an old card table
or a heavy
board, well covered with
heavy
aluminum
foil.
The meat
should literally fall off the bones,
relieving you of a lot of carving.
Slice and chop the meat and serve
with barbecue sauce, sandwich buns,
cole
slaw and your favorite
side dishes.
Enjoy!
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