Lula Mae was my larger-than-life maternal grandma. A chain smokin' hog farmer's wife whose hair color-coordinated with whatever Tony Girl product might be on sale at the local Ben Franklin. My family tells me I get my irreverent personality from her, though I prefer to call it charm.
When the meat freezer kept on the south-facing porch of Lula Mae's farmhouse was getting low, there would be a hog slaughter—Grandma called it the “Fill Kill.” Most of the other grandkids ran away during the commotion, but I stood doe-eyed and dreamy, watching my Grandpa and Uncle Larry wielding butcher's knives and cleavers. On big days, like the wedding day of my eldest cousin, the men of the family always roasted a whole hog. Grandma never got involved. She said, “It's the one damn thing men do well.”
These days, I'm a farm girl trapped inside a city girl's fancy-ish life. I long for the flavor of the whole, roasted hog I experienced as a child, but I don't have the space to cook one. My solution? A suckling pig. Large enough to feed 18, but small enough to be muscled around by just one. I have perfected, in the solitude of my modest backyard, a roasted suckling pig my favorite way—on a spit. It's really quite simple and aside from building a fire and a few basic sewing skills, the only thing you need is time. Which, as Grandma said, men always seem to have a lot more of than women.
Backyard Suckling Pig
Serves 15 to 18
2 cups apple juice
1 cup apple cider
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I like Texas Pete)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 25-pound suckling pig, rinsed thoroughly
1 cup kosher salt
10 sprigs rosemary
10 garlic cloves, smashed
Equipment
Cotton butcher's twine (soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to use)
Butcher's needle
60 pounds charcoal
1 rotisserie (I use an electric Spit Jack)
- Prepare an outdoor nonflammable surface (6-foot by 3-foot), such as cement, pea gravel, brick or dirt and build a charcoal fire. You will not want direct flame on the pig while it roasts, so allow enough time to get your coals good and hot.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together apple juice, apple cider, sugar, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat and allow the basting liquid to cool.
- Rub the entire body of the pig (inside belly and outside) with kosher salt. Attach the suckling pig to a spit fitted with a spit fork by sliding the spit through the pig's mouth and through the belly of the body. Push the spit fork into the rear haunches of the pig. Using a heavy-duty trussing needle and butcher's twine, tie the pig to the spit behind the head (around the neck and tied behind the ears) and near the tail. Make sure to pull the twine tight, allowing for shrinking that will happen during cooking. Every 6-inches down the back bone of the pig tie it to the spit by using the trussing needle and twine and starting from the outside of the back pushing the needle through the pig (it's best to make a cut through the skin first with a sharp knife), in-between the ribs, alongside the spit and out the back of the pig. Snip the twine and tie off each section very securely. Repeat down the back of the pig. Stuff the belly cavity with rosemary and garlic. Using the trussing needle and butcher's twine, sew the belly shut.
- Mount the spit on tripods that are set on the long ends of the fire. The spit should be 1 foot away from the fire. Lay two disposable aluminum roasting pans on the fire, directly under the pig to catch any drippings that may cause a flare up with the fire. Lightly baste the pig from snout to shitter with the basting liquid (continue to baste every 30 minutes until all the basting liquid has been used).
- Place an oven thermometer on a cinder block (upturned) near the pig. The ambient temperature should stay around 250ºF. Add a layer of fresh coals every 30 minutes as needed to the fire. Roast pig until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pig (shoulder and rear haunches) registers 145ºF (approximately 3 to 4 hours). Meanwhile, start drinking some fresh cider, beer or whiskey.
- Remove the spit from over the fire and allow the pig to rest for 30 to 45 minutes. Move the pig to a large work table that has been lined with heavy-duty foil and untie the pig from the spit. Slide spit out of pig's belly. Discard all of the twine. Starting behind the head, begin peeling off the skin. Carve the meat and serve with potato salad, cornbread and dipping sauces.
Note: Spit roasting a pig is different than roasting one on a grill or in the ground. It's important that you don't stuff the belly cavity of the pig (as the pig turns and begins to cook, anything in its belly starts beating on the meat and can tear it apart, like a tennis shoe inside a dryer.)
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