Roasting a whole pig is a traditional item on the menu for southern-style get-togethers. Getting a pig roast is a great thing to have during reunions with family and friends.
Part of the tradition is to have the men do all the roasting while the women prepare the other dishes for the weekend feast.
A great combination of this roast would include potato salad, tortillas, beans, salsas, and chips. All in all, this will require the men to learn how to make a homemade pig roaster.
Homemade Pig Roaster – The Traditional Way
The traditional way of making a homemade pig roaster is to do all the work on the ground. This will really take a lot of hard work. I
n fact, it will actually require a couple of days for both preparation and the actual cooking. It will require the combined effort of all your friends and buddies just to prepare the pig and get the pit ready.
It’s also a good excuse to have an advance party while the pig is getting ready.
Needed Items
The very first thing you will really need to make a homemade pig roaster is a pig to roast. One that is about 60 to 80 pounds will do just right.
However, if you are expecting more guests you can get one that is bigger or just roast two pigs just to be sure everyone gets to sample the roasted hog.
You’ll also need some wet sheets, a shovel, some straight razors, a lot of firewood or dead wood, a huge sheet of metal, oil, hot towels, and a large deep fryer.
Instructions
If you are not squeamish about killing and gutting a pig then you should better buy a live pig from a farmer or a meat auction a day before you are actually going to eat it.
If you can’t stand all the blood and the heckling noise a dying pig makes then you can just buy a pig that is already dressed from a meat market.
It’s your call if you want to keep the pig’s head or not. Lay hot towels on the pig so that you won’t have trouble with the hair when you run razors on the skin. Wrap the pig in the sheets and prepare to make your homemade pig roaster.
Here’s how you actually make a homemade pig roaster. Pile your wood and start a bonfire until you have hot coals. While doing this some of your friends should dig up a three-foot hole on the ground.
Shovel the coals into the hole up to about eight inches in height. Shovel in a thin layer of dirt over the coals and place the pig over it with the sheets sticking out over the hole.
You then add another eight-inch layer of hot coals over the pig. Lay your metal sheet on top of the pit and cover the side edges with dirt.
Bring out some beer or your favorite drink because the pig will now roast and get cooked in 14 to 15 hours. Remove the metal sheet every four hours to check the pig and add more coals.
You may add your favorite spices and herbs while preparing the pig to add flavor. After 15 hours, your pig is roasted nicely and it’s time to haul it out and place it on the table.