Cooking half a hog

[magnuson]

Its more for looks than anything. But thanks for the info. i will keep that in mind next time!

 

[dickfoster]

I am cooking a 100lb half hog with a grill made out of a giant propane tank. i have never cooked something that big and need it done in about 3 hours. we are doing it for a school event and are making pulled pork sandwiches. Thanks!

Proper pulled pork takes time, low temperature and smoke. If it ain't done right it just ain't pulled pork or even what is called BBQ.
BBQ just isn't fast food, you have to cook to internal temperature however long it may take. Each individual piece of meat has to cook in it own time, that is determined primarily by how much collagen is in the meat. When the collagen melts away the internal temperature will start to rise and the meat is done. Even a small butt can take as long as 12 hours at a smoking temperature of 225.

 

[dickfoster]

It takes about 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours to cook a slab of babybacks at 250 degrees F.

I do baby backs in 6 hours at 225. Three hours uncovered in the smoke, two wrapped in foil and the last hour uncovered again. It's about the only thing I smoke by time instead of internal temperature. Of course that doesn't include the dry rub the night before. Some folks also brine them the night before.

 

[teejk]

I do baby backs in 6 hours at 225. Three hours uncovered in the smoke, two wrapped in foil and the last hour uncovered again. It's about the only thing I smoke by time instead of internal temperature. Of course that doesn't include the dry rub the night before. Some folks also brine them the night before.

You can do ribs faster than that. I hit them with smoke for about 45 minutes then wrap in foil for another hour or so. Will be "fall off the bone".

 

[teejk]

Proper pulled pork takes time, low temperature and smoke. If it ain't done right it just ain't pulled pork or even what is called BBQ.
BBQ just isn't fast food, you have to cook to internal temperature however long it may take. Each individual piece of meat has to cook in it own time, that is determined primarily by how much collagen is in the meat. When the collagen melts away the internal temperature will start to rise and the meat is done. Even a small butt can take as long as 12 hours at a smoking temperature of 225.

Pork butts at that 225F seem to reach a "plateau" and refuse to climb. I think I heard that meat will stop accepting smoke at about 140F internal temp. Learned to bring them in (maybe 4 hours) and finish in the oven after that. I can control my oven temp much better than my smoker. And with pulled pork you are going to shred it all anyway so "plate presentation" is N/A. And in many cases is going to get bathed in BBQ sauce so flavor might become N/A also. With a short time window the OP has, I think I'd cut out the loin and save it for another day or cook them separately. Take the ham/butt/picnic to the bench and cut them into BIG chunks and proceed from there. Then I think it could work. Personally I think I'd hit them on with smoke for an hour or two, then wrap them tightly in foil to finish...tightly wrapped they will continue to cook but also have that steam effect.

 

[dickfoster]

Pork butts at that 225F seem to reach a "plateau" and refuse to climb. I think I heard that meat will stop accepting smoke at about 140F internal temp. Learned to bring them in (maybe 4 hours) and finish in the oven after that. I can control my oven temp much better than my smoker. And with pulled pork you are going to shred it all anyway so "plate presentation" is N/A. And in many cases is going to get bathed in BBQ sauce so flavor might become N/A also. With a short time window the OP has, I think I'd cut out the loin and save it for another day or cook them separately. Take the ham/butt/picnic to the bench and cut them into BIG chunks and proceed from there. Then I think it could work. Personally I think I'd hit them on with smoke for an hour or two, then wrap them tightly in foil to finish...tightly wrapped they will continue to cook but also have that steam effect.

That's because of the collagen breaking down. Collagen acts much like a pot of boiling water, once it reaches the boiling point the temperature remains constant until the all water boils away. Just keep cooking until the temp starts to rise, you'll soon hit your target temp and the meat is done. You actually want the connective tissue to break down to add moisture and tenderness to the meat along with taste.

I cook pork butts to about 190 but everyone has their opinion of how they like it. I'd say 170 minimum for good pulled pork. You also want nice bark and a good smoke ring and all that takes time to accomplish.

For speed and convenience I use a wireless thermometer for smoking. That way I can keep it closed up in order to keep things progressing. If you're lookin you ain't cookin. It has a probe for the smoke chamber and another for the meat along with programmable alarms. Very handy if you do a lot of smoking and they don't cost much. You can keep your eye on the smoker and the butt while you sit on your butt inside drinking beer.

Maverick ET-73 Remote Smoker Thermometer | Yardandpool.com

 

[stuckmotor]

Just in case the hog is mostly raw when a crowd of hungry people sit down to eat, I hope there's a plan B. Good luck.

 

[TheMan419]

Even 5 hours is not enough time. Went to a BBQ where they buried the pig at about 10 a.m. We did not eat until 10 p.m. and that was after the pig was cut up and finished on many grills.

There are plans on the internet for building an above ground "pit" out of cinder block. Much better option as you can control temp better and add fuel to the fire as needed.

That was the problem at the one I went to. Not near enough coals to start with. The cold ground sucks away a lot of your heat.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have a friend with a mobile oak pit BBQ. He caters big parties. It's big enough to do half a hog. 24 hours over a low fire is about right. Rolling the carcass takes about 4 strong men with shovels. If you can't cover the meat you need to baste it continually to keep it from drying out.

 

[teejk]

I have a friend with a mobile oak pit BBQ. He caters big parties. It's big enough to do half a hog. 24 hours over a low fire is about right. Rolling the carcass takes about 4 strong men with shovels. If you can't cover the meat you need to baste it continually to keep it from drying out.

Since it's going to be pulled pork anyway, thinking more about my idea of "chunks". Our sportsman's club used to host a game feed and that's what we did with bear meat. We borrowed a roast "stuffer" and netting from a local butcher shop, packed it tight, roasted it for a few hours and then into the Nesco.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My church is doing a 200# one next month. We made a pit with block, small fire at one end. Maintain 250° . last yr we cooked 160# for about 12 hrs i think. Meat was well done falling off the bones.
Put a metal cover over it, and has a nice cooking rack with handles.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

View of the fire, used hickory.

 

[dickfoster]

My church is doing a 200# one next month. We made a pit with block, small fire at one end. Maintain 250ｰ . last yr we cooked 160# for about 12 hrs i think. Meat was well done falling of the bones.
Put a metal cover over it, and has a nice cooking rack with handles.

View attachment 468563

Many open bit barbecues are built just that way. Most shovel coals into the pit and burn the wood into coals in a separate burn box or barrel.

 

[lilranch2001]

I wonder how the food turned out.....

 

[buckeyefarmer]

We've done them in scouts with a metal cooker, usually use charcoal in it, but we add wood coals also.

 

[teejk]

Many open bit barbecues are built just that way. Most shovel coals into the pit and burn the wood into coals in a separate burn box or barrel.

One place at the Wisconsin state fair does that with pigs and chickens although they use rotisserie. They use the true "lump" charcoal (not the briquettes). Starting to see more and more of that lately. Back to rotisserie...bought the Weber kit for my oversized 6 burner LP hog...I love it! Something about that slow rotation that puts the meat to heat, then back off, only to repeat. Have done chickens, rump roast and pork...all come out great.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The metal cooker. Nothing like camping in the woods and eating pulled pork fresh off the cooker. And we built an oven for baking.

 

[teejk]

View attachment 468579
The metal cooker. Nothing like camping in the woods and eating pulled pork fresh off the cooker. And we built an oven for baking.

View attachment 468580

But you are doing it for the church! Seems to me that BBQ requires a long cooking time and a lot of "fluids" for the cooks. That's how we do it in Wisconsin anyway.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

No extra fluid for me, lol

 

[dickfoster]

One place at the Wisconsin state fair does that with pigs and chickens although they use rotisserie. They use the true "lump" charcoal (not the briquettes). Starting to see more and more of that lately. Back to rotisserie...bought the Weber kit for my oversized 6 burner LP hog...I love it! Something about that slow rotation that puts the meat to heat, then back off, only to repeat. Have done chickens, rump roast and pork...all come out great.

I use natural hardwood lump charcoal and wood chunks in my smoker. Never briquettes as that stuff is made from clay, coal dust and other junk, that's why there is so much ash left over from burning that stuff. Nasty stuff.
I use lumps of different woods depending on what I'm cooking, I usually use hickory for pork, along with oak, apple, cherry, maple, mesquite and others for other meat and fish. For example Mesquite goes good with beef brisket but is too strong for fish but apple works well.
IMO the best lump charcoal seems to be Royal Oak in the red bag and it's also easy to come by. There is a website out there that rates and tests many brands of lump charcoal. If I can't get Royal Oak, Cowboy is good but seems to have a lot of scraps from manufacturers of wood flooring. I'm about to take down a maple tree in our front yard, it will make a lot of good wood for my smoker. BACON!