Spring Mahha 2013 Pig roast idea

[OldRagFreeze]

I'm thinking asking to go to a group hang for even one night the weekend of my first anniversary is a bad idea... But as I posted above, pork butts are really considered beginner's barbecue. Charcoal is best, preferably hardwood chunks. For barbecue sauce it'd be fun to have everyone bring their favorite. I prefer to add the sauce to individual sandwiches rather than the whole butt anyway.

I'd be shocked if someone wouldn't step up and feel comfortable taking it on. I really wish it could be me.

[2Questions]

I was looking further and could get a 3'x6' charcoal roaster on a trailer without the rotesserie for $90 for the weekend.

I was talking with a friend who has experience with this whole pig thing. He mentioned it may be easier to just do pig butts. Cutting up a whole pig is tricky and time consuming especially for a novice. He also suggested just getting a couple personal size smokers. Figuring that should be enough to cook about 3 butts to feed 80-100.

Im still trying to talk to my chef bro-in-law.

Agreed...looks like, if we do this...the butts have it!

[2Questions]

I'm thinking asking to go to a group hang for even one night the weekend of my first anniversary is a bad idea... But as I posted above, pork butts are really considered beginner's barbecue. Charcoal is best, preferably hardwood chunks. For barbecue sauce it'd be fun to have everyone bring their favorite. I prefer to add the sauce to individual sandwiches rather than the whole butt anyway.

Does she camp...there is a Family Campground just down the road. Maybe you could reserve a site with electricty, and instead of staying at the group area, you could spend the weekend with her and sleep at the campground. There are bathhouses there with showers! ZQ

[OldRagFreeze]

Does she camp...there is a Family Campground just down the road. Maybe you could reserve a site with electricty, and instead of staying at the group area, you could spend the weekend with her and sleep at the campground. There are bathhouses there with showers! ZQ

Alright, I'm gonna bite the bullet and ask tonight. She does camp, and actually loves to camp... Just not in cold temps or primitive sites. I think this may meet her criteria.

I'm assuming the pig roast/butt smoke is Saturday?

[2Questions]

Alright, I'm gonna bite the bullet and ask tonight. She does camp, and actually loves to camp... Just not in cold temps or primitive sites. I think this may meet her criteria.

I'm assuming the pig roast/butt smoke is Saturday?

As crazy as it sounds...I have used a heater in my tent. We have a Pop up camper now, but I used to use a 9 X 9 tent...covered the netting with a fleece blanket...used an electric oil filled radiator, and it heated very nicely! I can handle cooler temps during the day..but sleeping, I need above 60°.

Of course, you might have to sleep inside with your wife! Tim sleeps outside in his hammock. We have been married 30+ years...he gets a much better nights sleep in his hammock...that is more important to me now! ZQ

[OldRagFreeze]

Ya she's warming up to the hammock idea, but for our car camping I'd guess she'll want me in the tent with her on her queen size air mattress.

I'm just happy she camps, and is OK with me disappearing for a weekend every month or so to backpack... I've got friends that aren't married who have less freedom with their girlfriends. She's a keeper.

In the event that I can't make it I think that anyone with good experience using charcoal would do fine for pork butts. I've had some really inconsistent grill temps (that's the hard part; keeping your grill at 225 F) on a few I've done due to wind and they turned out fine. It seems that as long as you pull them off no sooner than 190 F (later is OK though, I've done that a few times too) they turn out perfect. Briskets, ribs, pork tenderloins and the more expensive cuts tend to be more picky about temp.

The reality is that even if I did come whatever grill arrangement we worked out would be different from my own, so I'd be winging it anyway. Unless you can find someone who has their own large-scale smoking rig than anyone would be at the mercy of the equipment. I don't think there is much risk though.

[Jazilla]

We roasted a piggy at our Fall hang back in October. Did it up in a Cajun microwave, which is essentially a huge wood dutch oven. It came out great.

[Yojimbo]

Question how big of a roaster/smoker would we need? Estimate square footage. I've never done butts before so I have no idea.

[OldRagFreeze]

Question how big of a roaster/smoker would we need? Estimate square footage. I've never done butts before so I have no idea.

I think you'd just want to make sure they're not touching... They'd probably be fine if they are, but I'd avoid it anyway. Other than that you just need the space they take up, which isn't much. You cook them with the fat cap on top and I'd say a ~10 lb butt would probably need 1 square foot or less. Some will be a good bit less than that but that's probably a good estimate. You can expect about 60% yield in terms of finished product, and a good sandwich is about 1/3 lb... So 18 sandwiches per ten pound butt, roughly.

[2Questions]

I put in several calls this morning...learned some things... and decided on what I wrote in post #40. I just received a call from one of the companies I called and had to leave a message. The woman I spoke with leads me to check into this a little more...looks inviting to have them do a pig roast or pork butts. Either will be cooked off site and delivered to the campground. The pig would arrive intact and meat taken off bone as served. The butts would be delivered ready to eat. I need to do some PMing about the cost. I will post findings later.

I do like the idea of less work for us....having someone do the work and we enjoy, is definitely a plus. Cost will be the deciding factor.

Agree..disagree..anyone??

ZQ