whole sucking pig

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Are there any updates on this smoke?

[smithtrailers]

I've got a #2 and love it.  I'm interested in the results on the piglet. Any updates? I just acquired a fresh 35 lb. piglet that has been skinned, gutted and head removed. I think the only way to smoke in #2 is to quarter.  My only question is how long to smoke.  The ribs will be done long before hams. Anyone been down this road?

[Pork Belly]

To me thirty five pounds is a "small pig" not a suckling pig. Suckling pigs are still on or just removed for nursing and are much smaller. You will likely need to section out that 35# for smoking in a #2. When cooking whole or half a hog you worry about the finished temp in the hams, the meat in the rib section mostly falls off the bone.

Since you have to whack that little guy up you might consider cutting it into a saddle and smoking that whole. Tis video shows what cut I'm talking about, https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=saddle+of+lamb&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001 Around the 2 minute mark he forms the saddle.

[puddle jumper]

I really like the idea of doing this,,,Been wanting to do a hole hog for a long time now,,,looking around and all the cook positions I think with the right sized pig in this position it might just fit into my number 2...
Wheels are tuning,,,LOL
PJ

[SuperDave]

I really like the idea of doing this,,,Been wanting to do a hole hog for a long time now,,,looking around and all the cook positions I think with the right sized pig in this position it might just fit into my number 2...
Wheels are tuning,,,LOL
PJ

I was too but after reading a lot of the posts on the internet, it sounded like there was so much waste that you ended up with the equivalent of a couple of pork butts for a lot of extra work.  And the clincher was going to a picnic a few weeks ago that included a smoked whole pig.  The flavor was just not even close to what we produce with our standard cuts of pork.  The allure of it has now passed. 

[Limey]

I cook whole pigs in a La Caja China box(Cuban box) which is very easy and convenient, but I happen to agree with you. A well cooked pork butt in an SI rules!

[puddle jumper]

I really like the idea of doing this,,,Been wanting to do a hole hog for a long time now,,,looking around and all the cook positions I think with the right sized pig in this position it might just fit into my number 2...
Wheels are tuning,,,
PJ

I was too but after reading a lot of the posts on the internet, it sounded like there was so much waste that you ended up with the equivalent of a couple of pork butts for a lot of extra work.  And the clincher was going to a picnic a few weeks ago that included a smoked whole pig.  The flavor was just not even close to what we produce with our standard cuts of pork.  The allure of it has now passed.

I have to agree with you on that its much easier to do a shoulder, but being a BBQ guru that I am somewhere in the back of my brain I just haven't been there done that until I do at least one hole hog,,, LOL   Its a resume thing I guess , just have to do it once    LOL
PJ

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

I cook whole pigs in a La Caja China box(Cuban box) which is very easy and convenient, but I happen to agree with you. A well cooked pork butt in an SI rules!

I have seen more then a few BBQ shows cooking a pig that way which actually took very little time ( fast ) and would like to give this a try ..........any links on how too .

[Limey]

Ginger, the link is http://www.lacajachina.com/. In my experience the boxes work great and are very easy and consistent to use. Remember that you will not get any smoke flavour out of them- I am in the process of modifying mine to utilize an external smoke generator.