[Sca-cooks] cooking piggy (whole)

[Dragon]

Stefan li Rous wrote:

>To which Dragon said:
><<< That's because people don't understand that you don't roast OVER the
>fire but to the SIDE of it.>>>
>
>That can be part of it. Thinking you can cook a whole pig in five or
>six hours seems to be another. Even if you don't burn the pig by
>cooking it over the fire, the grease dripping from the pig into the
>fire has also caused problems.
---------------- End original message. ---------------------

That is why you place a pan with a bit of water in it underneath to 
catch the drippings. That and the fact that the drippings are so damn 
tasty that you WANT those drippings to be safely captured for pouring 
back over the roasted meat.

The time to cook is of course dependent upon the size of the pig, the 
diligence of the cook in maintaining the fire at the proper level, 
turning the spit regularly, and even in how the pig has been trussed 
and prepared for roasting. A small pig may well be overcooked in 5 
hours and a large one may need as much as 8 or 9 hours. This is where 
modern technology comes into use to determine doneness, I would 
personally never attempt to roast a pig to be served at a feast 
without a digital probe thermometer just for the food safety issues.

Dragon

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  Venimus, Saltavimus, Bibimus (et naribus canium capti sumus)
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