Backyard Roast Barbecued Suckling Pig
Reprinted with permission from 1,001 Best Grilling Recipes (Agate Surrey, 2014).
Yield: 12 to 14 servings
1 20–25 pound young suckling pig* 1 gallon distilled white vinegar 2 cups apple cider 1 cup honey 1 cup dark soy sauce 1 cup orange juice 4 limes, sliced 4 lemons, sliced 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 6 cups fresh bread crumbs 3 cups chopped onions 3 cups chopped celery 3 cups chopped apples 2 cups chopped apricots 1 cup butter, melted olive oil for rubbing 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup dry white wine |
Wash pig inside and out and soak in very cold water with vinegar for 8 hours. This freshens and whitens the meat.
In a large bowl, combine apple cider, honey, soy sauce, orange juice, sliced limes, sliced lemons, and seasoned salt.** In a separate large bowl, combine bread crumbs, onions, celery, apples, and apricots and mix well. Fill the cavity of the pig with this mixture and pour melted butter over the stuffing. To close the opening, use an ice pick or upholstery needle to punch rows of holes about 1 inch apart on both sides of the stomach flaps. Then lace it up with thick string just as you would a shoe. Rub olive oil all over the skin and cut several small slits in the skin, making sure they don’t go all the way through to the meat. Form 3 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil in a pan slightly larger than the pig, and place this pan in the bottom of the barbecue. Surround the pan with briquettes. Light the briquettes and replace the cooking grates over the charcoal and drip pan. It will take about 25 to 30 minutes for the briquettes to be ready for cooking.
Place the pig on its back on the grill. Fit aluminum foil caps over the ears and tail to avoid burning. (Remove the foil about 1/2 hour before the cooking time is completed.) Place a wooden block or baseball in the pig’s mouth, so that a red apple can be inserted when the pig is done cooking. Place a meat thermometer in the pig. Add approximately 12 briquettes to each side every 1 1/2 hours to maintain the heat. Baste often and generously with the honey-cider basting sauce. The pig will cook for approximately 10 minutes per pound. The thermometer will read 160 degrees when the suckling pig is done. Remove the pig from the grill and wrap it in foil. Let it sit for 20 minutes so the juices are reabsorbed back into meat.
Skim the fat off the juices in the roasting pan. Ladle the remaining liquid into a large saucepan and place it on the side burner. Add stock and wine and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve all the roasting juices coagulated on the bottom and cook for about 10 minutes.
To serve, slice the skin from the base of the pig’s tail to the back of the neck and peel the skin down the sides. Carve the small hams first, slice the rib sections next, and carve the front shoulders and jowl last.
*The best place to buy a suckling pig is from a local farmer. The odds are that the pig will have been organically raised. Tell them you’re planning a barbecue so they’ll leave the head on and tie the feet in a crouching position when they prepare the animal.
**When making the sauce, you can add wine, orange juice, Coke, or any other flavored liquid. If you wish to thicken the sauce, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour that has been blended with 2 tablespoons of butter and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often.
In a large bowl, combine apple cider, honey, soy sauce, orange juice, sliced limes, sliced lemons, and seasoned salt.** In a separate large bowl, combine bread crumbs, onions, celery, apples, and apricots and mix well. Fill the cavity of the pig with this mixture and pour melted butter over the stuffing. To close the opening, use an ice pick or upholstery needle to punch rows of holes about 1 inch apart on both sides of the stomach flaps. Then lace it up with thick string just as you would a shoe. Rub olive oil all over the skin and cut several small slits in the skin, making sure they don’t go all the way through to the meat. Form 3 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil in a pan slightly larger than the pig, and place this pan in the bottom of the barbecue. Surround the pan with briquettes. Light the briquettes and replace the cooking grates over the charcoal and drip pan. It will take about 25 to 30 minutes for the briquettes to be ready for cooking.
Place the pig on its back on the grill. Fit aluminum foil caps over the ears and tail to avoid burning. (Remove the foil about 1/2 hour before the cooking time is completed.) Place a wooden block or baseball in the pig’s mouth, so that a red apple can be inserted when the pig is done cooking. Place a meat thermometer in the pig. Add approximately 12 briquettes to each side every 1 1/2 hours to maintain the heat. Baste often and generously with the honey-cider basting sauce. The pig will cook for approximately 10 minutes per pound. The thermometer will read 160 degrees when the suckling pig is done. Remove the pig from the grill and wrap it in foil. Let it sit for 20 minutes so the juices are reabsorbed back into meat.
Skim the fat off the juices in the roasting pan. Ladle the remaining liquid into a large saucepan and place it on the side burner. Add stock and wine and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve all the roasting juices coagulated on the bottom and cook for about 10 minutes.
To serve, slice the skin from the base of the pig’s tail to the back of the neck and peel the skin down the sides. Carve the small hams first, slice the rib sections next, and carve the front shoulders and jowl last.
*The best place to buy a suckling pig is from a local farmer. The odds are that the pig will have been organically raised. Tell them you’re planning a barbecue so they’ll leave the head on and tie the feet in a crouching position when they prepare the animal.
**When making the sauce, you can add wine, orange juice, Coke, or any other flavored liquid. If you wish to thicken the sauce, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour that has been blended with 2 tablespoons of butter and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often.