A pig roast

Inspired by Joolie's run-in with a roast pig, I decided to share a roast pig story of my own.

A few years ago, I was invited to a pig roast by my friend. Said friend's brother is a Park Ranger in some Southwestern state and had occasion to shoot a wild pig that was menacing the park. Figuring it would be a shame for it to go to waste and thinking ahead to when his brother would be visiting, he froze it solid and had it waiting as a present. My friend was delighted by not only the present, but also the creative-thinking that would required in getting the pig carcass back home to Austin.

They decided the direct route was best and so they double wrapped it in game bags, then put it in a sturdy canvas duffel. At the airport, my friend checked it as luggage. He half-expected security to take him aside when the pig skeleton showed up on the x-ray machine, but he and the pig arrived in Austin unhampered.

He quickly let all his friends know that there would be a roasting the next weekend. Then the question of how to thaw the thing came up. If just left out, the outside of it would surely begin to warm to unsafe temperatures while the core was still frozen. So he and his wife emptied their refrigerator of everything, including shelves, and bungie-corded the pig into it. The door barely closed.

Five or so days later, the pig was thawed, a fire pit was dug, a spit was erected, and everything was ready to go. An intrepid team of BBQ experts assembled at 6 AM to begin the roasting. When guests begin arriving around 11, the pig was still not cooked through. Never one to panic, my friend ran to a hardware store and purchased two sheets of corrugated metal which the roasting team then used to construct a lean-to over the fire pit. It worked magnificently and just a few hours later, the pig was done. It tasted okay. Sweet, though rather gamey.

I wish I had pictures. The process was much more fun than the result.