This Little Pig...

[jonj]

@Tyrus, since @tekobo is obviously busily preparing her 2 by 2 pig roast/garden party (which we can only vicariously attend via photos [or of course it didn’t happen]), I checked little piggy’s ID for his/her biometrics. Seems to be 9.8 Kg, which appears to be the optimal size for the 32 KK Roto basket.

[Troble]

35 minutes ago, jonj said:

@Tyrus, since @tekobo is obviously busily preparing her 2 by 2 pig roast/garden party (which we can only vicariously attend via photos [or of course it didn’t happen]), I checked little piggy’s ID for his/her biometrics. Seems to be 9.8 Kg, which appears to be the optimal size for the 32 KK Roto basket.

That’s about 21lbs for us non metric folks 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Troble

[tekobo]

Soooo.  I have learned a lot today. We also had a lot of fun.  Had friends arrive at 15 minute intervals to have a drink, make up their sandwich and go, making way for the next couple.  Seven different couples were seen.  Hurrah.

What did I learn?  

Trying to pull the sternum together with thread didn’t work for long.  The stitches burst and the stuffing came out.  Luckily it just landed in the tray beneath and cooked off very nicely indeed.   Next time I might stuff a bit of foil in at the top to keep the stuffing in the lower section which wasn’t quite so hard to keep shut.

The pig shrank during the cook and started to twist within the cradle.  I should have tightened up the prongs when that started to happen.

If you want a pretty looking presentation pig then cook it on the main grate or maybe on the spit rod.  The prongs on the cradle do bite into the meat.

Don’t be disappointed if the skin doesn’t seem to be crisp when you take it out.  The skin crisped up while it was resting, strangely.

I also learned that rotisserie piglet is INSANELY DELICIOUS.  Kidney stuffing was loved by all, salsa verde and a celeriac and apple salad and soaking your bread in the pan from under the meat was all that we needed.

Unpretty pictures, very very tasty food.

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by tekobo

[Troble]

@tekobo great job! Sounds like a fun day. Thanks for all the info. 

[BOC]

Looks great Tekobo!


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[MacKenzie]

Mouth watering. 

[Braai-Q]

3 hours ago, Basher said:

I’d name it Football after stitching up the pig skin like that.
That’s a tight fit Tekobo, both in your dry ager and KK. Couldn’t quite fit the apple in the mouth?
Looking forward to this final outcome.
 

To be fair, if I was doing it, I'd be re-enacting a scene from ER which would annoy the hell out of my wife. Better than Lord of the Flies though!

[Basher]

Well done Tekobo.
Extraordinary social rules over there.
Stop watching conversations sounds crazy.


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[tony b]

At the end of the day - it's the taste that you remember, not how it looked.

So, what lucky bastard got the cheeks? 

Did anyone try the brains? If you still have them, mix them in some scrambled eggs for breakfast in the morning on toast! 

[MacKenzie]

Tekobo, has enough brains as it is. 

[Tyrus]

It was a handsome pig Tekebo, way to go on breaking "in" the 32. Well, I guess nobody got my reference to Arnold Ziffel the pig from Hooterville on Green Acres. Maybe I went to far back, in the future, I'll try to keep it in this century. Tekebo on the skin bursting, you could have tried butchers twine, it's a bit thicker...the fine thread with the turning may have contributed to it cutting the skin and opening, just sayin. Good job, you got your friends out for the day if only for a short time and danced around the Covid restrictions. I hope they could take their drink to go.  

[tekobo]

Thank you all for being so kind with your comments, particularly when the results were not the sort you would choose to post on Instagram let alone on a forum such as ours with people who are obsessively good at cooking.

The arrangements were complicated by the COVID restrictions and we managed the risks carefully.  All bar one couple had had their first vaccines and the young couple who hadn’t had taken a lateral flow test.  We had one couple stay with us for the whole time for 2.5 hours while others cycled around us, building their own sandwiches to go.  Two couples ended up together in another garden eating their share while another were able to dash back to customers in their shop with their bounty to eat when they had a lull.  One couple were late for their slot, arriving after everyone had gone and didn’t leave until I threw them out at 2200, having sat around the Solo stove for hours. 

What none of the pictures can convey is how much joy and pleasure one little piggy can deliver.  I get a rush from hushed wow’s and the quiet that descends when people are eating and loving their food.  I wasn’t sure about putting the pig’s kidneys in the stuffing but the sweet soft onions and the herbs and spices turned that stuffing into a thing of wonder.  Only one person didn’t have some and that was on account of the bread crumbs and his being a coeliac.  Here is to life and the great love that friends bring.  

[Braai-Q]

18 minutes ago, tekobo said:

Thank you all for being so kind with your comments, particularly when the results were not the sort you would choose to post on Instagram let alone on a forum such as ours with people who are obsessively good at cooking.

You did an outstanding job although I think you'd trigger a great many tofu toting vegans and PETA types if you ventured near Instagram with some of those pictures. You might find that the pig was not the only thing with a fire lit beneath it! Approaching ambitious cooks with expensive, high quality ingredients adds some pressure not to mess it up and that's been my justification for having the cookbook collection I have - you get a sense of direction if you have several recipes from reputable sources to compare. I think you take the same approach with your research and prep and it's a proven formula.

18 minutes ago, tekobo said:

The arrangements were complicated by the COVID restrictions and we managed the risks carefully.  All bar one couple had had their first vaccines and the young couple who hadn’t had taken a lateral flow test.  We had one couple stay with us for the whole time for 2.5 hours while others cycled around us, building their own sandwiches to go.  Two couples ended up together in another garden eating their share while another were able to dash back to customers in their shop with their bounty to eat when they had a lull.  One couple were late for their slot, arriving after everyone had gone and didn’t leave until I threw them out at 2200, having sat around the Solo stove for hours. 

You know I posted my pint/chips interpretation of the COVID regulations in the UK? I don't quite know how to go from pint and a sausage roll to full pig. I'm a way off from a vaccine sadly. Current estimates are around July. 

18 minutes ago, tekobo said:

What none of the pictures can convey is how much joy and pleasure one little piggy can deliver.  I get a rush from hushed wow’s and the quiet that descends when people are eating and loving their food.  I wasn’t sure about putting the pig’s kidneys in the stuffing but the sweet soft onions and the herbs and spices turned that stuffing into a thing of wonder.  Only one person didn’t have some and that was on account of the bread crumbs and his being a coeliac.  Here is to life and the great love that friends bring.  

The enjoyment of food shared with those who appreciate it is genuine reward for the effort. I second your sentiment. 

In the words of Dick King Smith (the film Babe was based on his book) although I may be misremembering the quote 'That pig'll do, that'll do' 😄

 

[Troble]

11 hours ago, tekobo said:

What none of the pictures can convey is how much joy and pleasure one little piggy can deliver.  I get a rush from hushed wow’s and the quiet that descends when people are eating and loving their food.  I wasn’t sure about putting the pig’s kidneys in the stuffing but the sweet soft onions and the herbs and spices turned that stuffing into a thing of wonder.  Only one person didn’t have some and that was on account of the bread crumbs and his being a coeliac.  Here is to life and the great love that friends bring.  

You hit the nail on the head with that comment. In a few years when you and your friends think back about COVID ending all everyone will remember and talk about will be how delicious your food was and how lovely it was to see you. You did a fantastic event for your friends. You brought people joy through your cooking efforts and that’s what’s important 

I was so jealous that you beat me to the first pig cook that l was incessantly checking my phone for updates from you while I was standing in lines at Legoland. Thank you for taking the plunge first and sharing the challenges and lessons you learned. I’m planning on attempting this Memorial Day weekend so I will share my efforts, but a sincere thank you @tekobofor all your contributions to my cooking education. You help make me a better cook with all the knowledge you share and my friends and family benefit as a result. 
 

how are the leftovers today? Assuming there was some 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Troble

[tony b]

@Tyrus - I got the reference right away. I keep a flying pig on my PC. His name is Ziffel!

[tekobo]

18 hours ago, tony b said:

So, what lucky bastard got the cheeks? 

Did anyone try the brains?

Ha!  The cheeks on this little piggy were sooo tiny.  As for the brains?  Don't weird me out.  I love eating giant land snails from Africa because I had them when I was growing up but can't cope with brains or sweetbreads or squirrels for that matter.  I am planning a post on @Syzygies' and my hero, Mr Fergus Henderson, but I have to admit that there are some bridges I have not managed to cross yet.  

18 hours ago, MacKenzie said:

Tekobo, has enough brains as it is. 

If only!  All that preparation and I couldn't work out that I needed to clamp the piggy more tightly as it cooked?  Really???

15 hours ago, Tyrus said:

Tekebo on the skin bursting, you could have tried butchers twine, it's a bit thicker...the fine thread with the turning may have contributed to it cutting the skin and opening, just sayin.

I did have some butcher's twine but it wouldn't go in the eye of the needle.  I am not sure that was necessarily the solution. I had to pull the flaps of the chest tight and I think there is a direct conflict between cooking your piggy until it is nice and soft and trying to tie it tight under pressure.  I'd be interested to find out what others have done or what competition bbq folk do if they indeed try to stuff their piggies.  

11 hours ago, Braai-Q said:

In the words of Dick King Smith (the film Babe was based on his book) although I may be misremembering the quote 'That pig'll do, that'll do' 😄

Tee hee.  You are silly.  I didn't need Mark to tell me that this was a joke.  

4 hours ago, Troble said:

Thank you for taking the plunge first and sharing the challenges and lessons you learned. I’m planning on attempting this Memorial Day weekend so I will share my efforts, but a sincere thank you @tekobofor all your contributions to my cooking education. You help make me a better cook with all the knowledge you share and my friends and family benefit as a result.

Hey Troble, we are super grateful to you here too. Do you know how many families and friends have been made happy with chicken shawarma and tacos al pastor across the world?  Awesome job.  Looking at the photos from the cookbook that you posted I am thinking about how to cook a pig flat on a KK. That would be the ultimate crispy skin experience I think.  It reminded me of  pig that I saw in a kitchen in Sao Paolo and I just went back to find the photo (aren't searches amazing these days?  less than a minute to find all photos from Brazil and show me the ones from Sao Paolo).  I always wondered how good that pig would have tasted when it was ready to eat.  Have fun with your cook and we look forward to following your journey.  

 

 

[tony b]

Some of the best whole hog that I've ever had came from a cookout at a local brewery for their 1st anniversary. They hired a local "legend" - Carl Blake from Rustik Rooster Farms, who raises only heritage breed hogs, to cook 4 different breeds for the cookout. Amazing. Plus, he did them all in La Caja China knock-offs. 

The Man!

Edited April 18, 2021 by tony b

[Troble]

@tekobo I’m doing a test cook tomorrow with pork butt. I went out and bought some MSG today per Rodneys recipe and I decided to also inject the pork shoulder but realized I had no apple juice at home after I just went to the the grocery store, the butcher and a Asian market to score the MSG. So I improvised and used beer and apple cider vinegar. Will be putting the pork shoulder on tonight hopefully if I don’t fall asleep to early. I plan to test the hog seasoning as well as Rodneys BBQ sauce on this pork shoulder then assuming everything works I’ll do the pig on Memorial Day when all my crew are fully vaccinated and able to come over. I’m sure I’ll mess up but we’ll learn together here. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for this board and group that welcomed me in. You all helped me survive 2020 

for the record pool season opened today at my house. @MacKenzieif you get too cold you should hop on a flight to San Diego and come teach me how to cook on my KK in person!

Edited April 19, 2021 by Troble

[Basher]

[mention=3070]tekobo[/mention] I’m doing a test cook tomorrow with pork butt. I went out and bought some MSG today per Rodneys recipe and I decided to also inject the pork shoulder but realized I had no apple juice at home after I just went to the the grocery store, the butcher and a Asian market to score the MSG. So I improvised abs use beer abs apple cider vinegar. Will be putting the pork shoulder on tonight hopefully if I don’t fall asleep to early. I plan to test the hog seasoning as well as Rodneys BBQ sauce on this pork shoulder then assuming everything works I’ll do the pig on Memorial Day when all my crew are fully vaccinated and able to come over. I’m sure I’ll mess up but we’ll learn together here. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for this board and group that welcomed me in. You all helped me survive 2020 
for the record pool season opened today at my house. [mention=2394]MacKenzie[/mention]if you get too cold you should hop on a flight to San Diego and cons teach me how to cook on my KK in person!

Go easy on the MSG Troble, it’s cheap, it tenderises, it preserves, and it tastes good.
However, still rated as a possible carcinogenic here but most concerning can be its effect on the nervous system. I have many friends who can’t sleep after digesting MSG and others who react with a nervous tic.
Some friends get severe hangovers- I’m sure MSG is the excuse for this side effect.


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[Troble]

@Basher I’m going to follow his directions to see what happens. The guy is known for doing the best whole hog in the US. I’ve never used or cooked with MSG before and I know there’s some negative beliefs about it but I also don’t plan on cooking a whole pig very often and that is also the reason im doing a test cook. In the book Rodney devotes 3 pages to the discussion on MSG, I read it and decided I’d try it but I pretty much try everything at least once in my life...we’ll see how it goes 

 

As for sleep issues, it’s currently 1:30am PST and here I am on the couch writing you.....

Edited April 19, 2021 by Troble