Pit (underground) roasting a hog - any tips/tricks?

[DeadheadNM]

Looking to roast a dressed hog at the end of next month at a buddy's house as a sort of adios to the summer. I've attended mantanzas back in NM but only as a consumer. My step father has since passed but I remember him telling me they'd wrap the pig in burlap and pillow cases before burying it in the pit. I'm trying to dial in some greater detail. Have the pig lined up for a Sept 20 butcher date from a local farm: https://www.deutschfamilyfarm.com/

Any helpful tips/tricks?

[Southcity]

I did something similar with some friends a few years ago, our method took some time but it was fun. What we did:

1. Dug a pit to bury/slow cook the pig (save the dirt as you use it to cover the pit back up to cook)
2. Seasoned the pig with our own brine and wrapped the pig with a few layers of large banana leaves and wire to hold it all together
3. Built a fire and loaded it up with large rocks, these rocks need to hold the heat once removed from the fire as they will be used to slow cook the pig in the pit. (sorry I forget what kind of rocks we used but I think they were medium to large smooth style river rocks)
4. Once the rocks and pig are ready, arrange/drop rocks into the pit, lay wrapped pig on top, cover the pit and let it cook for four to six hours.

We had never done this before but the pig turned out amazing, you almost can't mess it up regardless of how you do it but it will take some time to prep and slow-cook in the pit.

[Sheepdip]

I have done several of these over the years without a failure my method is as follows:

The following is for a 100 to 150 pound pig dressed weight. I personally use no seasoning

Be prepared yourself after everything is prepared and sourced for a 12 hour day. And you must start 12 hours before serving time.

The day before you cook...Dig a pit 18" deep, 30" wide and 60" long dig it like a grave with square corners and a flat bottom these dimensions have a purpose so don't over dig, and in a wash tub start soaking at least 6 burlap sacks in water.
Stockpile 1/4 cord of your favorite hardwood of choice and enough 4-5" diameter round river rock cobble stones to cover the bottom of the pit in one layer not stacked.

You will need enough lettuce trimmings to completely cover the pit dimensions twice, I use a lettuce box full of trimmings from my local grocery store produce guy, he will/should save them for you if you ask. Having him fill the box the lettuce comes in is usually enough.

Procure enough tin roofing to cover a 4' x 8' minimum area preferably 1 piece. Have a broom handy for later.

Set up a table big enough to hold the pig while wrapping the pig in wire and serve the pig on when done.

Source enough chicken wire to wrap the pig completely to fold around the ends you will also need some bailing wire to securely seal/tie the chicken wire around the pig and you will also need enough #9 wire to thread thru the chicken wire on both outer sides underneath the pig plus 4 feet both sides, you will end up with 2 pcs of #9 wire about 15 feet long.
This whole wire set up is how you will both lower the pig into the pit and remove the pig from the pit so make sure it is done right or you will be sorry.

2 shovel handles one each side with the #9 wire wrapped around it works well and 2 men have no problem lowering or lifting the pig in or out.

The day you cook start a fire in the pit and get it hot, keep pitching in the wood until the whole pit is burning red hot, now start pitching in the cobble stones and remaining wood until its all in and red hot, once the coals burn down so they only fill the voids between the red hot cobble stones it's ready for the pig. You can even up the stones with a shovel. This whole burning heating process will take approximately 5 hours.

Your pig should be already wrapped in chicken wire and ready to work in a fast timely manner.
Cover the hot coals with wet drained burlap, then cover the burlap with lettuce, drop the pig in the pit onto the lettuce, pull your shovel handles laying the wire on the ground, cover the top of the pig with lettuce then another layer of wet drained burlap.

Now cover the pit with even margins with the metal and shovel about 4" minimum dirt on top and all the edges watch for steam holes and add more dirt to stop any steam leaks where needed.

In 7 hours your pig is done.

Clean the dirt off the metal and away from the edges the broom works well for final clean up/dirt removal.
Remove the metal cover being very careful to not get any dirt on the pig, get your table right next to the pit, remove the top burlap, using your shovel handles again to lift the pig out up and over onto the table, open the chicken wire and serve. Hint: If you drop the cooked pig hard onto the serving table it will be instant pulled pork.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Sheepdip

Hint: If you drop the cooked pig hard onto the serving table it will be instant pulled pork.

awesome!

[mongocanfly]

ive cooked them about every way that can be done...except the buried method..
our favorite way is what we did every new yrs ,we took a tractor and dug into the side of a hill..then we stacked concrete blocks on each side..we used a couple of bull panels with stiffeners welded under them to support the panels....the hog we wrapped in chicken wire..lay the hog on the panels...tin would cover over the top..we built our fire outside the pit and shoveled the hot coals up under the hog all night...one guy always made up a 5 gal bucket off marinade and we used a mop to slop it on the hog while cooking....man those were good times

[57taskforce]

Pete, I’ve never buried one but I’m sure getting hungry reading all this!

[Dieselwrencher]

I've only attended 1 get together where this was done and it was very tender and delicious. It's surprising you don't have to flip it to keep it from cooking the bottom too much. Pretty interesting to say the least.

[DeadheadNM]

Guys thanks for the tips and remarks. I hope appreciated. Sheepdip, you put a lot of effort into typing that and I appreciate it. I’ve got that printed and in the recipe file. I’ll post back and let y’all know how things went.

[lil hoodlum]

Google "Babacoa de Cabeza"

Tradionally, It is cooking the head of a cow underground. Many restaurants cook it as a "beef stew" now-a-days, but the old way was to cook it in a pit underground.

[Warrens69GMC]

Do you have Netflix??

American Barbecue Showdown

[lousyflyer]

Putting sheet metal over the pig helps prevent your neighborhood dogs from slipping in and stealing porky when you're not looking.
Been there, done that. Not my fault because its really hard to sit and watch a hole in the ground 100% of the time.

[DeadheadNM]

Thanks for the tips and tricks. The hog was real tasty. We plan to make this an annual fall event.

[57larry]

sure seems like a lot of work, hope it turns out well for you

[Sheepdip]

Looks like success! Glad it turned out for all to enjoy.

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice! Where's the on the plat epics?