Instructions

1. Season the hog generously with a dry spice rub at least 1 hour before roasting, rubbing the spice blend all over the skin and inside the body cavity. You may prefer to season several hours in advance or even 24 hours. Dry rubs are common for whole hog roasts because they are easy to apply and result in a flavorful bark. Spice options include salt or seasoned salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Adventurous hog roasters might try a salt and spice brine, but this requires a vat large enough to fully submerge the hog.

2. Light your fuel source and preheat the cooker to 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Light 10 to 15 pounds of charcoal and let the flames die down to the red coal stage. If you cook with wood embers, start the wood in a separate barrel or grill, transferring them to the cooker as the wood turns to embers. Obtain about 60 pounds of charcoal for a 75-pound pig, adding 10 pounds of charcoal for every additional 25 pounds of weight. You'll need roughly one-third of a cord of wood for a 75-pound big, and up to one-half of a cord for pigs up to 125 pounds. Set up a 40-pound cylinder of propane to roast a 75- to 125-pound pig.

3. Add the pig to the cooker positioned about 12 inches above the heat source to begin roasting. This distance isn't applicable for Chinese roasting boxes and in-ground roasting methods. Pigs cooked on flat grills and rotisseries are often wrapped in chicken wire so they can be turned without falling apart.

4. Apply a wet mop sauce, optional, to the hog once every hour to flavor the skin and keep it moist. Try a vinegar-based sauce made with apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, tomato sauce and your choice of spices.

5. Flip the pig over once every 1 to 2 hours for even cooking. Recruit several helpers for this task and take advantage of chicken wire wrapping to handle the hog. This step is important for roasting over a grill, but isn't necessary for Chinese roasting boxes and in-ground roasting because the hog is left in the same position throughout the cook time for these methods. A rotisserie spins continuously, so there's no need for flipping.

6. Add more charcoal or wood embers to the cooker approximately every 2 hours or as needed to maintain a temperature range between 225 and 250 F. Keep an oven thermometer inside the cooker to help monitor the temperature.

7. Remove the cooked pork from the cooker when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Check in several places with a meat thermometer inserted to the center of the meat without hitting bone. Allow 6 to 7 hours of roasting time for a 75-pound pig, increasing by 1 hour for each additional 25 pounds.

8. Transfer the roasted pig to a carving and serving table. Think of this as a large cutting board. A piece of new plywood works well as a carving and serving surface. Cut off different cuts of the pig and let the guests serve themselves, or cut all the meat and serve with a selection of sauces.