How to do a 'do it yourself' pig roast?

Question

Starting with killing the pig... all the details would be great. we are planning a hawaiin luau, and thought a pig roast would be great. I'm trying to get out of spending a lot of money... can you cook one over an open fire... I had the idea to do it... I just don't know how. PLEASE HELP!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

PIG ROAST ON A SPIT

Whole suckling pig (60 lb. average)
1 lb. black pepper
25 to 30 garlic cloves
Garlic powder
Rosemary
Salt
10 pounds onions
5 lbs. stuffing
3 to 4 c. shortening
4 ft. chicken wire
Meat thermometer
Needle and string
Chopped apples and walnuts (optional)

Clean pig and dry. Cut slits in skin and insert garlic cloves. Coat with shortening. Prepare stuffing and combine with cut up onions. Add apples and walnuts to stuffing, if desired. Pack cavity with stuffing and stitch closed. Wrap pig in chicken wire lengthwise. Coat with garlic powder, rosemary, and salt, and pepper. Insert spit and cook 3 to 5 feet above a bed of coals 6 to 7 hours, turning frequently. Add seasoning often. Meat is done when skin shows deep splits and internal temperature is 160 to 170 degrees. Unwrap wire (which will bring most fat and skin with it) and serve.
Optional: Pig may also be roasted in covered pit, turning every hour. Keep spit about 2 to 3 feet above coals.

General Description: Roast suckling pig has been a delicacy since ancient times. In many northern European countries, roast suckling pig is a traditional Christmas entrée. It is also a special occasion dish in the Philippines, a custom brought with the Spanish. In Cuba, suckling pig is traditionally served on New Year’s Day. Suckling pig is served for the Hawaiian lu’au, covered with banana leaves and cooked in a pit. Roast suckling pig is served whole at Chinese weddings as a symbol of the bride’s virginity, although the same pig is said to symbolize both virility and prosperity.

Characteristics: The meat is pale, tender, and rather gelatinous. The true delicacy is the crackling, crispy skin.

How to Choose: Suckling pigs are slaughtered at 2 to 4 weeks of age. The entire pig is sold whole and eviscerated. The smaller the pig, the more tender and delicate it is.

Amount to Buy: A suckling pig weighing 8 to 15 pounds serves six to twelve people, allowing 1 1/2 pounds per person. Larger baby pigs weighing up to 30 pounds may be purchased whole. Suckling and baby pig usually have to be specially ordered.

Storage: Suckling pig is quite perishable; store 1 to 2 days refrigerated.

Preparation:

Rub a paste of herbs, salt, and pepper into the cavity. Tie the cavity shut with butcher’s string, positioning the front and back legs against the body. Cover the tail and ears with aluminum foil.
Place the piglet in a large roasting pan and roast at 350°F for 15 minutes per pound, about 5 hours, basting with white wine and the pan juices and turning the pig every hour, or until it reaches 165°F at its thickest point.
Remove the pig from the oven, drape it with foil, and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing.

I would try searching the local butcher shops to see if they carry and sell suckling pigs if you don't have access to a pig.
I hope this was helpful...Good Luck!!! :)

Answer 2

Here's an excellent resource... Let me know when you have it - I'll bring the beer! LOL... Enjoy!

http://cuban-christmas.com/pigroast.html

Answer 3

The hawaiian way is not expensive but a lot of work and have to have a large amount of ti leaves,they cook it underground,which entails digging a hole big enough,large lava rocks etc.Your idea of doing it above ground is a good one,look up cajun cooking websites,they cook the pig over open fire. The pig has to be gutted,the hair removed by scalding then scraping.Another suggestion but it may be more than you want to spend,is to go to chinatown if you have one ,and check with restaurants that specialize in roasted pork,they sell whole roasted pigs.Again check websites that deal with roast pork.

Answer 4

If I remember you dig the pit a day or two before the roast.
But it will be cheaper to cater the event.
You've gota get fire wood , banana leaves, rocks, what ever??
Yes it can be done over a fire but you still need a lot of fire wood. It ain't cheep.
Check your Yellow Pages For Polynesian clubs and associations.

Answer 5

"What Makes a Luau?

According to the Scribner-Bantam dictionary, a "luau is a feast of Hawaiian food." Traditionally, Luaus celebrated major events in Hawaii such as a visiting dignitary or a wedding. The feast could go on for days and involved first and foremost lots of food! Today restaurants and hotels offer scaled down Luaus that celebrate Hawaiian culture and cuisine. You'll often find entertainment such as hula dancers and fire dancers offered to guests along with the traditional roasted pig.

There are many little details that will help you to create the feeling of a traditional Luau. Or, if you prefer, you can turn it into a campy party with lots of fun and tacky lights, plastic hula girls and more. When you consider the party music, you have a choice. You can stick with the traditional, or you can choose beach party sounds.

Whichever style suits your group, everyone should arrive ready for fun.

Whenever you plan a party, you should read the recipes in advance of the dinner to help plan the timing of the meal. Be especially careful with this meal as several recipes will need advance preparation. For example, if you plan to build the traditional pit for roasting kalua pig, you'll need lots of time to prepare.

Setting the Stage with Decorations

Let yourself have fun when decorating for your Luau. You can create the mood for your party with minimal expense if budget is a consideration. In fact, you can even plan on eating your decorations when the Luau is over if you use pineapples and coconuts as elements in your design! As you can see in the simple centerpiece above, I have used a pineapple, coconut, two silk leis, paper parasols and tropical fish picks to create a simple, colorful design.

You can go two ways with your decorations; create a natural Hawaiian mood or make it a campy beach party.

For the natural look you'll want some of these decorations:

bamboo placemats real tropical flower arrangements with orchids, hibiscus, bird of paradise and any other tropical flowers you can find.

sea shells scattered around your tables
napkin rings made from sea shells glued to raffia rings
coconuts
pineapples
a real parrot (only if you or a friend owns one, of course)
palm trees
palm leaves
tiki torches
tiki masks and other supplies
real flower leis
tropical design fabric tablecloths and napkins
For a campy beach party, you can include all of the above, but also add any or all of the following Hawaiian icons:

plastic hula dancers
surf boards
plastic leis
little paper parasols for your drinks
plastic picks for your drinks and hors d'oeuvres
string lots of fun party lights above and around your buffet table
colorful tropical tablecloths, napkins and party goods in paper or vinyl materials
tropical design confetti
At either party you can ask your guests to dress in colorful Hawaiian Aloha shirts and straw hats.

Welcome all guests to your Luau with a kiss and a flower lei.

I prefer the silk or real flower leis to the plastic ones you can find in most party stores.

If you're setting a campy beach party mood as in the Elvis movie Blue Hawaii, have raffia grass skirts available for anyone who'd like to try hula dancing.

Finally, organize a limbo contest for fun.
Planning the Menu
In a traditional Luau pigs are roasted in a pit dug in the ground called an imu to make the dish called "kalua pig." You can access very detailed instructions on how to do this courtesy of the Culinary Arts Program at the Maui Community College. Realistically, however, I don't expect many Dinner Clubs will want to dig a pit in their back yards to roast a pig in the genuine Hawaiian style. That's why an easier pork dish is included on this Dinner Club menu.

Start the evening with a Polynesian Pupu platter accompanied by a selection of Hawaiian cocktails. As you might expect, fruit juices and rum play a big part in these cocktails. I suggest you take it slowly because they can sneak up on you if you're drinking too fast on a sultry evening! I've selected a few of my favorites for this menu but you can find many more in the Tiki feature from About Cocktails Guide, Kathy Hamlin.

Considering the location of Hawaii it makes sense that seafood plays a large part in the Luau menu.
Make sure you include several offerings in your Dinner Club menu.

Coconuts and pineapples must be considered mandatory ingredients for your Luau. It just wouldn't be a Hawaiian Luau without them. One other indigenous Hawaiian food you must try is Poi. Made from the taro root, Poi may at first seem distasteful to a non-Hawaiian but it's a very nutritious staple food in Hawaii. The Poi Company ships products worldwide made with this Hawaiian specialty.

Okay, warm up your appetites, turn on the music, and get into the Aloha spirit!
Hawaiian Luau Menu

Cocktails

Blue Hawaii

Hawaiian Cocktail

Mai Tai

Pupu Platter

Rumaki

Ono Ribs

Shrimp Ono Nui

Main Course and Sides

Hawaiian Roasted Pork

Hawaiian Grilled Fish Salad

Chicken Long Rice

Lomi Lomi Salmon

Aloha Sweet Potatoes

Poi


Desserts

Macadamia Coconut Cake

Pineapple Butterscotch Squares

Serve with Kona Coffee

Planning the Music for Your Luau
The music you choose for your Hawaiian Luau can be either traditional Hawaiian music or fun beach party music. They both will work great. Just make sure you're consistent and design the other details of your party to mesh with the mood set by the music. For example, if you select traditional Hawaiian music I would choose low-key, natural decorations when Setting the Stage. But if you feel like hosting a fun, beach party type Luau, I'd go with beach party music and pull out all the campy decorations such as the plastic hula dolls and cardboard palm trees.

Traditional Hawaiian Music Sources

Hawaii Calls - Hula Records This company claims to have the oldest and largest catalog of Hawaiian music in the industry.
There are many real audio clips to help you select your music and to enjoy as you plan your party.

Maui Music - This online Hawaiian music retailer provides a lot of information about the artists, best sellers, new releases and you can find audio clips to some of the CD's.
Don Ho Gold - Many mainlanders consider the music of Don Ho to be the most representative of the Hawaiian sound.

Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives - You can't listen to the music at this site, but it's an amazing directory of very beautiful and poetic Hawaiian lyrics.

Beach Party Music Suggestions

The Surfaris - This band is most famous for the tune "Wipeout."

The Beach Boys - There's no way you could hold a beach party without some music from this band!

Blue Hawaii - This classic soundtrack from the movie by Elvis Presley will add a rocking Hawaiian ambience to your luau.

Ref: http://entertaining.about.com/cs/dinnerp…

ONO (Delicious) LUAU RECIPES
A Little History of Hawaiian Foods!

Before the arrival of foreigners, Hawaiian food was similar to other foods in the South Pacific, especially of Tahiti and Samoa. The earliest Hawaiian settlers arrived in canoes with karo (taro), breadfruit, coconuts, sweet potato, bananas, chickens, pigs, and dogs. Adding to these foods were over a hundred different fishes and over 30 popular kinds of seaweed from the surrounding waters. Ancient Hawaiian food was eaten raw or wrapped in karo (taro) leaves, seasoned with coconut and cooked. Today, because of the diversity of cultures of all arriving immigrants from the Orient and other parts of the world, Hawaiian food has taken on the flavor of all these groups. So, the Luau of today is not the same as the luau of yesteryear. When we cater for luaus here in the "mainland", the variety of foods is chosen for the palates of the main island (U.S.) and cannot be exactly Hawaiian in nature. When you decide to have a LUAU and don't want to cook, we can do it all for you! We will also try to make all the recipes below as close as the luaus now served in the Hawaiian Islands. Luana Nui (Enjoy)!!

Here Is The Menu (so far):

*Kalua Pork
*Hawaiian Chicken Long Rice
*Lomi Lomi Salmon
*I’a Lawalu - Baked Fish
*Laulau - Ti-Leaf wrapped Pork or Fish
*Hawaiian Macaroni/Potato Salad
*’Uala - Sweet Potato
*Baked Bananas
*Haupia - Coconut Pudding

More recipes to follow!!!

KALUA PORK

(usually cooked in an imu - pit)

6-8 pound pork butt

4 or 5 tablepoon liquid smoke

Ti-leaves and/or banana or cabbage leaves to cover roast

2 1/2 tablespoon (Hawaiian or sea or rock) Salt

Make incisions in the pork butt. Rub and sprinkle salt in cuts and on pork. Sprinkle liquid smoke. Remove backbone of ti-leaves (or use other leaves). Wrap roast in leaves and tie securely with string. Then wrap entire roast with tin foil making sure the juices cannot leak out. (I wrap with about three layers of foil, first the long way and then short way across the roast). Place in a shallow roasting pan for 4 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

After baking, remove tin foil and string. Discard all leaves. Tear into bite size pieces that can be eaten by hand. Remember not to tear pork while still hot unless you use plastic food gloves, otherwise bacteria from hand will set in and destroy whole roast. If you don't want to use gloves, then mix a small bowl of warm water with lots of sea salt, and dip hands into the mixture each time you tearing the pork (this is the old Hawaiian way).

Before serving, place pieces into a saucepan and fill with water ( about half way to top of pork). Season water (with salt) to taste and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. This makes the pork moist and delicious. Serve in individual bowls. Usually poi (Hawaiian staple made from the taro plant) is served with this, but it can be served with rice, tortillas, or anything else that goes well with pork.

Serves 8-10.

CHICKEN LONG RICE

This dish is frequently served at luaus that one is apt to forget that it is originally from China. This is substitued for Chicken Luau at luaus since it would take more to prepare.

May be prepared ahead. Serves 8-10

(1) 4 oz bundle oreintal vermicelli

6 pounds sliced chicken, cut into pieces

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon monosodium

3 tablespoons chopped scallions

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tsp white pepper

2 slices ginger

Cover dry vermicelli (dried bean threads made of beans in Oriental stores. Thin, transparent. It looks like nylon and is nearly impossible to break when dry.) with warm water and let stand at least 1/2 hour.
Cover chicken with water, add ginger, salt, monosodium glutamate, and simmer till chicken is tender. It makes a very tasty broth.
Cut vermicelli into 4 inch lengths. Add vermicelli about 15 minutes before serving. Simmer, then add more seasoning to taste. Serve in individual bowls.
If there is left-overs, refrigerate. When warming for use again, vermicelli would have absorbed most of the liquid, so replenish liquid loss with more seasoned chicken broth or water.

LOMI LOMI SALMON

(Hawaiian equivalent to Mexican salsa)

1/2 pound salted salmon

4 fresh tomatoes

3 scallions, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Hawaiian chili or any chili pepper, if desired


Shred salted salmon (if can't find, make your own by putting shredded salmon in a bowl, salt it with Hawaiian or sea salt and let stand for about 45 minutes. If too salty, soak in fresh water for a few minutes to leach out some salt). Cut tomatoes into small cubes. Combine salmon, tomatoes, scallions, onions. Taste, if need salt, add more. Chill before serving.
Serve in individual bowls.

Serves 8

BAKED or BROILED FISH IN TI-LEAVES

I'A LAWALU

(Can also be cooked with Kalua Pork in imu -pit)

2 1/2-3 pounds fish (butterfish, mullet, halibut, eetc.)

1/4 pound slat pork, boiled (optional)

1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian Salt (sea or rock may be substituted)

6 ti-leaves (banana or cabbage leaves may be used)




Scale and clean fish. Rub inside and out with salt.

With a small sharp knife, remove fibrous backbone of ti-leaves to make it malleable. Wrap fish in ti-leaves, tying ends with fibrous backbone removed before.

If using banana or cabbage leaves, wrap fish in leaves and use tin foil to enclose. Use more than one layer of foil.


TO BAKE: Place ti-leaf wrapped (or foil wrapped) fish in shallow pan, uncovered, and bake in moderate 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.



TO BROIL: Place wrapped fish six inches from preheated broileer. When ti-leaves brown, turn over and brown other side. Do not broil foil wrapped fish.


Remove top ti leaves and serve. Serves 8.

If baking in imu, lay wrapped fish on top of pork - highest part of imu away from the hot rocks. This was the ancient Hawaiian way of cooking fish!!

LAULAU (ti-leaf wrapped pork/fish)

3-4 pounds lean pork butt

84 taro leaves (or 3 pounds fresh spinach or swiss chard)

2 pounds salted butterfish

Hawaiian Salt (sea or rock salt)

36 ti-leaves or husks from 12 ears of corn


Cut pork and salted fish into 12 portions. Wash taro leaves and cut off stem and large part of veins from each leaf (if using spinach or swiss chard, wash and drain). Remove fibrous backbone from ti-leaves and wash carefully. Arrange ti-leaves - 3 to a laulau - with one leaf crossing the other so that you will have a good wrapping. (If using corn husks, then lay down tin foil before putting corn husks and other ingredients in center) Arrange taro leaves (around 7 to each laulau) in center of ti-leaves. Pack pork and butterfish on this and sprinkle with Hawaiian salt.


Wrap taro leaves around meat and fish, pull ti-leaves around the bundle (or tin foil), tie all tightly with string or fibrous backbone. Cut excess stalks and arrange on a rack in a large kettle with a tight cover. Add 2 cups (or so) of water and steam for 3 or 4 hours. Remove string and serve hot.

Makes 12 laulaus

TO PREPARE AHEAD: These laulaus may be prepared and steamed before the luau. Reheat by steaming for 45 minutes.


NOTE: If you must prepare your own salted fish, rub 1 1/2 tablespoons of Hawaiian salt over the fish and let stand for about 1 hour.

HAWAIIAN MACARONI/POTATO SALAD

4-5 large potatoes

1 cup shell or small elbow macaroni - dry

2 carrots - grated

3-4 eggs, boiled

1 grated round onion (yellow)

1/2 lb. imitation crab, or 1 can (6-8 oz) crab meat

1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise (plus or minus depending on how dry you want salad)

1/2 cup milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

EXTRA: 1 cup baby peas, if desired

NOTE: This salad should be made the night before the meal (or early morning). See the last NOTE below.

*Boil macaroni till tender (not overcooked), and potatoes till tender (not overcooked and mushy, but should hold its form when cut). *Cool, peel, and cut potatoes into small cubes. *Boil eggs until hard. *In a large bowl combine: macaroni, potatoes, onion, carrots, and mix until blended. *Add eggs, grate over large bowl, then add crab meat breaking into small pieces (substitute 1 can of tuna, draining water from can breaking apart big chunks). *In a small bowl mix mayonnaise and milk until smooth. *Add mixturre from small bowl into large bowl and gently mix all ingredients. *Add Salt and Pepper to taste. NOTE: THE MACARONI WILL ABSORB THE MAYO MIXTURE. AFTER ALLOWING IT TO CHILL, ADD MORE MAYO BEFORE SERVING. This Salad is usually served at MOST Luaus.

'UALA - SWEET POTATOES

Sweet potatoes are thrown in the imu to steam along with the pig in a Hawaiian Luau. Bake or steam as many potatoes as the number of guests. In a oven type luau, they may be roasted during the last 1 1/2 hours along with the Kalua Pork, as shown in the above recipe.

BAKED BANANAS

8 bananas 3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter 3 tablespoons sherry

Split bananas length-wise and arrange in low baking dish. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and sherry. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. serve hot.

Serves 8



DESSERT



HAUPIA - COCONUT PUDDING



2 cups coconut milk



1/3 cup sugar



1/3 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt



Make a smooth paste of sugar, salt, and coconut milk. Dilute cornstarch with a little water until smooth, then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on medium heat, constantly mixing until bubbling formation follows. Take pot off stove. Pour into 8 or 9 inch square cake pan. Cool, then chill. Cut into two inch cubes. Serve on ti-leaf squares, pilodendron, or magnolia leaves that have been washed and dried. Can also be served on cake dishes or paper plates.


COCONUT MILK (If cannot be found in the market)



6 grated fresh coconuts (2 whole coconuts)
Boiling water

Pour boiling water over grated coconut, enough to cover the coconut. Let stand a few minutes. Strain through ricer or 2 thickness of cheese cloth, pressing out the liquid. (Measurement will be 5 to 1 ratio) Thus, coconut milk. Store in refrigerator till time to use for above recipe. This is the way it was done in 'days gone by' for luaus. Do not boil coconut milk - it will curdle.

King David Kalakaua
More Hawaiian Luau History

In ancient times men and women were not allowed to eat together. Women were also not allowed to eat different delicacies. In 1819, King Kamehameha abolished these traditional religious practices. Only then did men and women began to eat together, and so, the modern luau was born.
The name Luau comes from a dish made from the young leaves of the taro plant. These leaves (tender) were cooked with chicken in coconut milk and this dish was called Luau.

The traditional luau was held on the floor (or ground or grass) with everyone sitting, usually, on woven lauhala (pandanus leaves) mats. Knives and forks were NEVER used, as everything was eaten with the fingers, including the poi (boiled/mashed taro root).
A "Royal Luau" was a lavish celebration, taking a long time to prepare. King David Kalakaua (The Merrie Monarch) loved to host giant luaus with over 1500 guests (his 50th birthday).
Today, the Luaus are prepared with modern conveniences (stoves, microwaves, blenders, etc.) and usually eaten with knives and forks served on plates. The guests sit on long flower-decorated tables that sit about 10 revelers.
So, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino County residents in California (including Victor Valley-Victorville area), when you decide on having a BIG Luau, but would like true Hawaiians to prepare your food, PLEASE look at our HAWAIIAN LUAU website. We know you will be exceptionally pleased with the complete menu and entertainment package.

Ref: http://www.blestwithwealth.com/hawaiian_…

Source(s):

Ref: http://entertaining.about.com/cs/dinnerp…
Ref: http://www.blestwithwealth.com/hawaiian_…

Answer 6

I assume since you started with “Starting with killing the pig...” you are using a whole pig. For authentic Hawaiian Kalua pig cooked in an Imu, here is what you need:

1. A shovel and a place to dig a big hole.
2. A bunch of fire wood.
3. A bunch of lava rock.
4. A bunch of Ti leaves.
5. Some burlap, gunny sacks.
6. A gutted pig. I assume you will know how to do that.

I would suggest taking the shovel, two shovels and people would be better, the day before and digging a big hole.
The next morning around 8:00 AM full the hole with the rock and build a big fire, using the wood. Let it burn until the rocks are hot, a few hours and adding wood as needed.
Bring out the pig. Using tongs, unless your hands are impervious to pain, fill the body cavity of the pig with hot rocks.
Cover the remaining rocks in the pit with a thick layer of Ti leaves.
Place the pig in the pit. Cover with Ti leaves.
Cover the pig with wet burlap, gunny sacks.
Using the shovel, or two, bury the whole thing making sure there is no smoke or steam escaping.
Have a few Mai Tai’s, but not too many. You still have work to do.
In 5 to 6 hours, get those darn shovels out and start digging.
It will probably be hard to find a platter large enough to serve it on.
Carve up the pig and enjoy.