Smoking a whole hog for old-fashioned barbecue separates the real outdoor chefs from the great pretenders. When you've mastered the ability to thoroughly cook an entire beast over a smoldering, smoking fire and then feed 100 awestruck individuals, you have earned your fire tongs. The trick is getting it done. Pork must be cooked thoroughly to kill any bacteria. Plus, medium-rare pork just doesn't taste very good. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Whole Hog Smoking
To smoke a 300-lb. hog takes about 20 to 24 hours, which works out to about 13 to 15 lb. per hour. This means sustained smoke and heat of 225 to 250 degrees F using a covered smoker, and leaving it covered except for when you baste the hog and add more coals to the fire.
Order the hog from your butcher at least a week in advance. The hog should be butterflied at the butcher shop so it will smoke faster and evenly.
Prepping the Smoker and the Hog
A 300-lb. hog fully cooked should yield enough pulled pork to feed 150 to 175 people with plenty of leftovers. You'll lose about one-third of the initial hog weight during the long cooking time, mainly to melted fat. Bone, skin and other non-edible parts are also wasted weight.
You'll burn about 100 pounds of charcoal during the 24-odd hours of smoking time, plus 30 pounds of hickory wood for aromatic smoke.
Start off the smoker with 30 lb. of charcoal and another 10 lb. of hickory soaked in water for several hours. While the smoker is getting hot, prepare about 15 cups of spice rub, then rub down all exposed surfaces of the pig. Use a meat injector to infuse the pig with tenderizing marinades. Favorites include a blend of apple juice and brown sugar with spices to taste, or orange and pineapple juice if you are planning a luau.
Smoking a Whole Hog
Once the smoker reaches 200 to 225 degrees, it's ready. Start the butterflied hog on the smoker belly-side down for the first 5 hours of cooking to give the hickory smoke an opportunity to penetrate the inside. Leave the smoker closed but vented during this time to maximize smoke penetration, which will add to the flavor.
After the first 5 hours, pour a fresh load of charcoal into the firebox, using as much fuel as necessary to sustain 200 to 225 degrees. Use a basting mop and vinegar-based sauce to mop all surfaces of the hog, inside and out, then close the smoker and let it roil for another 5 hours.
Reload charcoal and hickory wood whenever the temperature dips below 200 F. If you still have a good fire going, raking the existing coals will probably cause the temperature to spike right back to the desired range without adding more charcoal.
After 10 hours of smoking, baste the hog with the mop sauce every two hours.
When the deepest part of the ham or shoulder hits an internal temperature of 170 degrees, your hog is cooked. Let it rest for at least 45 minutes to allow the natural juices to flow back through the meat.
Serve with plenty of barbecue sauce on the side and hamburger buns with coleslaw and hot sauce.
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