135786421 The hog coated in dry seasoning rub. 2 Rebar and a skid-steer loader serve as a
hoist. 3 Tin foil keeps the juices in. 4 Chicken wire supports the package. 5 Stones
provide thermal mass. 6 Gasoline-soaked coals roar up when lit. 7 White coals are
ready to roast. 8 Soil seals the pit, and intake/exhaust pipes feed the fire.JASO
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wire, being sure not to puncture the
foil. He secured the wire tightly to
itself by weaving loose ends in and
twisting them tight. We then carried
the wrapped hog into Brian’s walk-in
cooler for the night.Prep the Pit
Brian estimated the pig at about
150 pounds hanging weight, after
we’d removed most of the fat. He
figured it’d need eight hours of cook
time, plus an hour to rest before
serving. That meant we had to move
the hog into the pit by 6 a.m. on
Saturday so we could pull it off the
fire at 2 p.m. and serve it at 3 p.m.
The morning of the party, an
entirely new group of friends
showed up with coffee, donuts,
and the ceremonial first beer to get
things started. Brian maintains a pit
at his farm year-round. The pit isn’t
fancy — it’s 3 to 4 feet deep and
just a bit larger than the hog. We
lined the bottom edge of the pit with
softball-sized rocks for thermal mass
to help regulate and maintain the
cooking temperature.
Early Saturday morning, we
pulled the hog out of the cooler
to let it warm up. We assembled a
handful of empty 5-gallon buckets
and a few gallons of gas, and began
to prepare the coals. We filled each
bucket with charcoal and dumped
gas into one bucket. After a couple
of minutes, we transferred the gas
to the next bucket and dropped the
saturated coals from the first bucket
into the bottom of the pit. After all
the coals had had a gas bath and
been placed in the pit, we raked
them flat and even.
Everyone stood back as Brian
lit a match and tossed it in. The
audible “WHOOSH” was a neat
effect, and the heat and flames that
followed were impressive as well.
We let the coals burn down for about
45 minutes, until they were chalky
gray, as we would’ve if we’d been
planning to grill hot dogs or burgers.