How to Cook Whole Pig on The RK

[Hogsy]

Our end of season football trip is coming up in a couple of weeks and Golly and I want cook pig on the ranch for the boys
Most of the pics I've seen of pigs cooked on kettles don't seem to have crackling all over
I'm after some advice on how to set the coals up and what's the best way to get crackling all over on a pig

[pbe gummi bear]

You need to do the pig over high heat. In an rk you can smoke the pig at medium temp, and then finish over really hot coal. Be careful though because it's hard to get even charring over something that big.

If you were crafty and can tend the animal you could build a spit over the rk. This allows you to do high heat cooking cycles to get the pig cooked and have crispy skin. Is it a suckling or something larger?

[pbe gummi bear]

My wife and I cooked this 27lber on a Santa Maria grill. We started skin up on medium heat, then flipped it once it was determined to be mostly cooked, prob about 2.5 hours in. The pig stayed on medium heat skin down for another hour, then we stoked the fire and lowered it closer to get the skin crispy. It turned out pretty good! Not quite the crispy skin of a full sized Filipino Lechon cooked on a traditional spit or the fried kind, but good enough. I preferred the fattier meat of the baby pig though.

Note that with direct cooking and a split pig you'll have to zone out the fire. The ribs and belly are super thin compared to the shoulder, ham, and head.

[Hogsy]

Thanks L
Trying to decide if were better of just doing a heap of cuts or a full pig
Full pig has the wow factor but it's no good without crackling
Don't think well have enough time to set up a spit setup, but we have plans for that in the future
Pig will probably be between 22-33lbs, not sure if that's still considered suckling

[Hogsy]

So no one has done a full pig or suckling pig on there RK? ?? With crackling? ? 

[Duke]

When you say "Crackling" are you referring to crispy skin? My plan would be to set up two large charcoal basket on either side of the RK with a pan in the middle like doing chickens or butts. I would possibly rub it down with rub and mustard and maybe even score it. I might even flip it once on it's back and then again belly down again toward the end. You might have to replenish the coals along the way, but without ever having done one this is my guess. I think the skin might crisp up if it's given plenty of time. You could also spread the coals all over the bottom and lay the pig on it's back direct but covered toward the end. You have the do this, it would be an epic cook!

[Craig]

That last picture, "Birthday Piggy!"

[Hogsy]

Ok plans under way to make a roti ring for the RK
Golly's neighbour is going to roll some SS for us
And we are thinking of buying this for  the rod and motor

http://bit.ly/18I4v6m

The motor looks like it could handle the weight
But the rod and forks look a little small
Also not sure what height to make the roti ring, the 22 ring is 6 inches
Would that be high enough or should we make it higher?
Thoughts and suggestions welcome also if anyone has any photos or links to similar builds let me know

[Golly]

Probably not after forks hogsy
Need something with U bolts to tie the legs