ottawa foodies

I had some friends over this weekend so I was excited to roast my first pig. The roaster was damaged during shipping so I’m waiting for replacement parts from the manufacturer but it was useable.

The pig was purchased at Lavergne Western Beef in Navan. This is my first time there and it was a good sign that as I’m walking in, someone is walking out with a whole hog.

Here’s picture number one. The pig was injected overnight with a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice, cumin and salt. The cooler makes the pig look small but it weighs 55lbs.

Picture two, starting up the cooker. I put the butterflied pig belly side up inside the metal lined box. Place16 lbs of charcoal on the top of the box and fired it up. This is the only heat source.

Unlike traditional spit roasting that can take all day, this cooker can roast up to a 100lb pig in 4 hours.

Here it is after 3 hours.

The pig is flipped over so that the skin can crisp.

Here’s the finished product with the customary apple for decoration.

This is one of the last pictures taken before my photographer decided to put down the camera to eat instead.

I was very pleased with the result as the meat was moist and tender throughout. It could have done with a bit more time in the cooker so that the skin could be crispier.

The next cook, I will try to make a Chinese Roast Pork.

It's not obvious to me how it's being cooked.
I see one photo with the pig-container beside the coal bed.
Does the pig-container-box go on top of the coal bed?
So in photo 3 the pig-box gets flipped over on top of the coals?
So it's fully enclosed like an oven?

The sides and the bottom are all made of plywood and aluminum. Picture two shows how the coal tray rests. The heat radiates down into the sealed box.

In the third picture, I took off the coal tray so that I could reach in to flip the pig.

I understand that this is closer to the original barbecue -- where a pit was dug in the sand and the meat was covered with palm leaves and *then* hot stones, but what I wonder is if it tastes as good as grilling over coals or smoking?

With grilling, the idea is that juices drip down onto the coals, make some smoke and flavour the meat. With smoking, it's even more pronounced. I'd expect the kind of "upside down grilling" being done here would result in a pig that tasted like it had been roasted in an oven (not necessarily a bad thing). Inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

Coming from someone who has spitted whole pig and done pig roasts in various contraptions, THIS IS WAY COOL!!!! Makes it look easy.

I haven't seen a roaster quite like this one. Well ok, most of the ones Ive used were either homemade modern ones or reproduction spits from the middle ages. I love this. Although I can see where moving the charcoal tray would be a little scary! In all other roasters Ive used, you move the meat, not the heat source.

Does the pig rest right on the floor of the "pit" or is it slightly raised? Is there a grease drain?

You must have drove your neighbours nuts with that delicious smell!