refrigerator. You can buy already peeled giant garlic
cloves from the restaurant food vendors. Place all of
seasoning ingredients through a food processor, this
will be the easier part.
Preparing the pig - Use scalding hot water and a sharp
razor blade shave off any hairs missed at the butcher
shop. Cut lots of slits in the pig for seasoning. Wash
your pig well inside and out.
Wash pig with the vinegar and dry. Season the pig well
and use lots of seasoning in the slits inside and out.
Note: The meat must be seasoned withen 24 hours ahead.
Shave off any hairs missed by the butcher.
Secure pig to pole or stick by using bale wire. Pierce
the pig with wire and criss-cross the entire pig. Tie
it well or it will slip around when you turn it. Some
people tie it down just before cooking.
Store the pig in ice, the best you can (try a bathtub
or use a tub filled with ice). Make sure you leave it
in a safe spot where children and animals won't get to
it.
You must make sure you have plenty of extra seasoning
to continue seasoning while cooking. Getting Started.
Use the charcoal that does NOT have any lighter fluid
added because the meat will acquire the taste.
Pile 10 pounds of charcoal, add the lighter fluid then
light. Let the coals burn for at least 20 minutes till
they are hot and white. When the charcoal is ready use
shovel to spread the charcoal around forming a ring so
that there's no charcoal directly under the pig.
The grease from meat will make flames that can scorch
the pig. Cover tail end ears with foil. Don't let the
meat get brown too early on because it means the fire
is too high. It needs to cook slowly from the inside
out.
For Every 30 minutes add just enough of the charcoal
to keep the coals going. Again, the pig needs to cook
slowly! Turn the pig every 15 minutes or so basting
with seasoning as you go.
Cooking time varies but its approximately for about 6
to 8 hours depending on the size of the pig. Plan on
starting early in the morning.
Someone must be watching the pig to prevent disasters
like for instance, the meat catching on fire or coals
turning off. Cooking the meat is part of the fun and
part of the festivities.
Puerto Ricans like to arrive early to be there to lend
moral support and just enjoy the ambiente. You should
provide the cooks with music, coffee, or whatever will
keep them warm and happy.
You must prepare yourself for the bad wheather. In cold
wheather the ideal thing to do is use a large rotisserie
grill for outdoors ( electric ) or make an outdoor make-
shift oven with cincer blocks or make an oven using a
metal cabinet.
Be ready for bad weather. In very cold weather the ideal
thing is use a large out door rotisserie grill, electric
Or make an outdoor makeshift oven with cincer blocks or
make an oven using a metal cabinet as with the photo on
this page.
Cover the pig with lots of foil to keep heat in. If it
rains or snows you will need a "lean-to" tent structure
for both the pig and cooks.
Pig roaster. Build a roaster using cement blocks that's
inexpensive (cinder blocks). You will need at least 50
blocks.
Lay them 4 blocks long, 2 blocks wide, and 4 blocks high.
Lay the blocks inside long walls. You should leave a open-
ing on 1 of the short walls to add the coals.
You will have to cover your pig with foil on top to keep
the heat in. If you want a faster cooking meat cut it in
half and cook it flat.
You can build a grill using poles with chainlink fencing.
Make a 2 sided grill so that you can simply flip it over
and make sure you tie down the pig by using the bale wire.
The last segment of cooking put the skin side down to get
it crunchy. If at first you do not succeed, try it again,
again and again!
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