Whole-hog roasts are common in many parts of the world and for many different occasions. Hog roasts are featured in Christmas celebrations around the world, including Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Cuba. Chinese communities use a hog roast for special family affairs and events such as a new business opening. Hog roasts in America, in addition to those of Cuban-American families, are a common occurrence in the Deep South—where they are called “pig pickin.” In addition, Hawaiian luaus often feature a hog roast.

The procedure: not for everyone

A whole hog roast requires much time, money and planning. However, it can really impress people: it can be an event that is remembered for years. For those willing to take the time to create a sensational event, the first step is buying the hog. The hog should be ordered from a specialty meat packer, local locker or butcher shop, and the business should have experience with whole hogs.

The butcher or packer should get the hog roasting-ready for you by splitting it open, butterfly-fashion. When a hog is butterflied, cooking time is reduced, and the procedure enables each piece of meat to be cooked evenly. It also makes seasoning the meat more uniform.

Rotisserie cooking is one method of preparing the hog. The rotisserie needs to be huge; many times, the business that sold you the hog will rent a rotisserie for the occasion. You may need a trailer to haul it home. The biggest challenge of rotisserie cooking is to get the carcass balanced evenly on the spit. This is very important, and failure to do so properly will result in some areas being over cooked, while others are under cooked. Cooking the hog for a hog roast takes between 6-8 hours.

There are other things to provide for. For instance, you will need a huge carving board, a large number of oven mitts, many sharpened carving knives and platters to hold it all. You will also want to determine what to do with the juices that roll off.

Recipes

There are hundreds of recipes for preparing your whole hog. However, there are two things you will always want to do. The first is to coat the skin with olive oil; this is what gives the skin its beautiful color. Also, you will want to baste frequently. In addition, you man want to consider a meat injector: the depths of a hog’s meat can be dry and tasteless. Usually marinating or brining the meat helps with this, but a whole hog is just too big for the procedure. For a hog roast, a meat injector can give flavor even to the deepest parts of the meat.

Accompanying dishes

The possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing dishes to complement your hog. For example, a southern-style hog roast can feature potato salad, macaroni salad, macaroni and cheese and corn on the cob. A Hawaiian Luau may feature tropical fruit kabobs alongside the hog, or cabbage salad and sweet potatoes. A Chinese-style hog roast may have chow mien, fried rice and stir-fried vegetables. Other popular side dishes include marinated slaw, tortilla chips with salsa, fruit trays, fruit and dip, baked beans and bread. You may also want to consider serving sour cream and horseradish to add great flavor to the pork.

Going “whole hog”

Hog roasts are spectacular events that are remembered by your guests for years. They take much work and planning, but the results will be worth it. So go “whole hog” with your next event and consider making it a hog roast.

Actually the Hog Roast Hire itself is the highlight of any party. That is because you have ham and pork and all the meat tastes so delicious. If there are children present, you can also have the hog hidden and take the meat off if they are bothered by the look of the hog, or you can let them get used to what they are eating anyway. You also want to invite as many people as you can because there will be plenty of meat once the hog is carved up and doused with your favorite sauces. Let your guest have fun with it and dunk their own or allow a bottle of sauces to drench the meat with. It is best to have a variety of barbeque sauces such as hot, sweet, mild, and spicy for them to choose from.

It is very important to have the preparer make sure the hog doesn’t stay at room (or outside) temperature for more than three or so hours or that it stays hot enough to still be safe to eat. You should keep it hot enough by using stern cans beneath but you don’t want to dry it out. If you have too much meat, put the pork away in plastic bags or Tupperware and refrigerate to enjoy leftovers later.

One very important thing about hosting this type of party is to make sure the person preparing the hog has done many of them and familiar with the right way of cooking the hog on the spit. They need to arrive in the morning and make sure the hog is well cooked just by the time it is cut up and served to the guests. It is also good to get some quotations from different Hog Roast Hire professionals to get the best deal. Also recommended is to hire or call people you know who have used the caterer previously.

To witness the Hog Roast Hire is most impressive if you have never been to one. It also has a festive old world feel and a perfectly prepared pig is absolutely delicious with meat falling off the bone. The proper display is to have the hog cut in sections where the guests can easily peel or spoon the meat off the bones. The hog is displayed on the table which is the proper way to do it, head with apple in mouth and all! Best of all, you don’t have to spend hours yourself cooking something else! So when it is summertime and getting hot, a great party starts with a big Hog Roast Hire.