SC Pig-Picking

[Von Bickley]

I see where a lot of my Northern friends talk about a BBQ. They are usually talking about hamburgers or hot dogs. In the South when we talk about BBQ it is usually chickens or a pig. Here are some pictures of what a SC Pig-Picking looks like.
bbq1.jpgbbq2.jpgbbq3.jpg

[Steve Demuth]

Surely you mean whole hogs, not hot dogs.

Here's what that looks like in NE Iowa / Southern Minnesota.

PXL_20230704_174910431.jpgPXL_20230704_232552868.jpg

Note the stuffing. Nothing against any of the various varieties of Southern BBQ sauces, but what really makes the plate of pulled pork is a fig, date, mushroom or olive that's cooked for hours in the belly of the pig, marinating in all that good caramelized pig fat. Savory doesn't begin to describe them.

[Von Bickley]

Surely you mean whole hogs, not hot dogs.

Here's what that looks like in NE Iowa / Southern Minnesota.

PXL_20230704_174910431.jpgPXL_20230704_232552868.jpg

Note the stuffing. Nothing against any of the various varieties of Southern BBQ sauces, but what really makes the plate of pulled pork is a fig, date, mushroom or olive that's cooked for hours in the belly of the pig, marinating in all that good caramelized pig fat. Savory doesn't begin to describe them.

Looks good. We do it without the head.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I attended a Mississippi "in-the-ground pig" BBQ among a bunch of neighbors outside of Meridian while stationed at the NAS there. I helped dig the hole, line the pit, make the coals and lower the hog into the pit. Later, of course, I helped consumer same hog. Excellent way to BBQ, IMO.

[Rob Luter]

In the North we call it a hog roast. Never not yummy.

[Rob Luter]

Surely you mean whole hogs, not hot dogs.

Here's what that looks like in NE Iowa / Southern Minnesota.

PXL_20230704_174910431.jpgPXL_20230704_232552868.jpg

Note the stuffing. Nothing against any of the various varieties of Southern BBQ sauces, but what really makes the plate of pulled pork is a fig, date, mushroom or olive that's cooked for hours in the belly of the pig, marinating in all that good caramelized pig fat. Savory doesn't begin to describe them.

While my favorite is the smoky taste of an open roast, I've enjoyed a variant on the theme where the cavity is stuffed with onions and sauerkraut and the hog is mummified in aluminum foil. It's then roasted for 12-18 hours.

You cut open the foil, pull out the bones, and feast. The meat is so tender you can spread it on toast. The acidity from the kraut and onions really cuts through the fat.

[Steve Demuth]

While my favorite is the smoky taste of an open roast, I've enjoyed a variant on the theme where the cavity is stuffed with onions and sauerkraut and the hog is mummified in aluminum foil. It's then roasted for 12-18 hours.

You cut open the foil, pull out the bones, and feast. The meat is so tender you can spread it on toast. The acidity from the kraut and onions really cuts through the fat.

What you see in the picture is basically that, except that we skip the aluminum, and our stuffing is sweet potatoes, figs, dates, and the like. We scald and scrape the hog, and when we bang it in the oven, the rind bakes to a hard shell that holds the juices in just like foil (except that it is edible, if you are old enough and rural enough to like the taste of fried, smoked, cracklin's). It's a pork pull - you need a knife to crack the rind when it's done, but the rest is just pulling the stuffing out and the meat off the bones. So tender and juicy a picnic fork will do the job.

[Keith Outten]

Years ago I was working near Wilmington North Carolina for months and was lucky to find a local restaurant that had the best pork BBQ and Brunswick Stew I ever ate. The seafood in Wilmington was also fantastic and very affordable, lots of seafood restaurants in that area, better then here at home in Hampton roads.

[George Yetka]

Speaking as a northerner Id have to agree bbq generally means burgers, dogs, maybe kabobs, or grilled chicken. But being partially german we used to do a pig roast at any larger party in which the older relatives would fight over the weirdest parts.. And now for me it is mostly smoking and searing prime steaks so I keep the guest list short. I have smoked a few turkey breasts in the past year. I do have to try a bunch more.

[Patrick C Daugherty]

To quote a gent I heard on NPR years ago. "Nothing varies across the US as much as the style of BBQ, but the worst BBQ I've ever had was damn good."

[Jim Koepke]

When we lived in California our neighbors were from south of the border. Alejandro was in construction. He brought home a piece of water pipe about three feet in diameter. Him and some friends sunk it into the ground. When they had a backyard party (often) they would start some coals in the pit and line a wire basket with agave cactus leaves with a pig in the center. This was usually started the night before or early in the morning. It always came out juicy and tasty.

jtk

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have two cookers made from 275 gallon oval oil barrels. Both can use either gas, charcoal, or wood coals. Both have double grates which makes it easy to turn a hog or rack of chickens over. Each year for Campers on Mission ministry, friend and I BBQ about 185# of Boston Butts, using gas for convience.

[Ron Barnes]

Looks great Von!!!