Pig Roast
intro
Slow-roasted whole pig with shatteringly crisp skin and juicy, smoky tender meat, seasoned with savory BBQ rub, made to feed large crowds at warm-weather outdoor gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pig and binder
Pat the 22.7kg (50lb) dressed, skin-on whole pig completely dry with heavy-duty paper towels across its entire exterior and inner cavity, then rub all surfaces (including under the legs, around the ears, and inside the ribcage) evenly with 240ml (1 cup) yellow mustard to act as an adhesive for the dry rub. Discard any excess moisture that pools in the cavity as you work.
Apply dry rub seasoning
Mix 120g kosher salt, 60g smoked paprika, 45g garlic powder, 30g ground black pepper, and 80g packed light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until fully combined. Rub 3/4 of the spice mixture firmly across the entire exterior of the pig, pressing to ensure it sticks to the mustard coating, then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 of the rub evenly inside the pig's cavity. Let the seasoned pig rest at 15°C (60°F) cool room temperature for 45 minutes to allow the seasoning to penetrate the skin and meat.
Prepare charcoal roaster
Set up an outdoor charcoal pig roaster for indirect cooking by piling lit charcoal on the two outer edges of the roaster base, leaving an empty space in the center. Wait until the charcoal turns light ashy gray (approximately 25 minutes after lighting), then adjust vents to maintain a steady internal roaster temperature of 107°C (225°F). Add 250g (0.5lb) of presoaked apple wood chunks to the coals for smoke, and set a metal drip pan filled with 1L (4 cups) of water in the empty center zone to catch drippings and add cooking moisture.
Mount and slow roast pig
Secure the seasoned pig tightly to the roaster's rotating metal spit, tying the legs, head, and loose skin flaps with food-grade butcher's twine so the pig does not shift as the spit turns. Position the spit over the roaster's indirect heat zone, close the roaster lid, and cook at a consistent 107°C (225°F) for 6 hours. Every 90 minutes during this slow roast period, add 1kg (2.2lb) of fresh charcoal and 125g (0.25lb) of presoaked apple wood chunks to maintain steady temperature and light smoke levels.
Baste and crisp skin
After 6 hours of slow smoking, open the roaster and brush the entire pig skin evenly with a pre-mixed blend of 500ml (2 cups) apple cider vinegar and 120ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil. Add 2kg (4.5lb) of additional lit charcoal to the roaster to raise the internal temperature to 190°C (375°F), then close the lid and continue cooking for 1.5 to 2 hours, basting the skin with the vinegar-oil mix every 20 minutes. Cook until the skin is deep mahogany, bubbly, and crisp to the touch, and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the pork shoulder reads 90°C (195°F) on an instant-read meat thermometer.
Rest and carve pig
Carefully lift the spit from the roaster, transfer the cooked pig to a large wooden cutting board, and tent it loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Let the pig rest for 30 minutes to allow juices to redistribute through the meat, which prevents juice runoff when carving. Separate the crispy skin into bite-sized crackling pieces, pull the tender shoulder and ham meat from the bone, and slice the loin into even portions to serve.
Tips
2.Avoid opening the roaster lid frequently during the first 6 hours of slow cooking, as each lid lift can drop the roaster temperature by 25–30°C (50–75°F) and extend total cook time significantly.
3.If small sections of skin begin to char during the high-heat crisping stage, cover those spots with small strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning while the rest of the skin crisps evenly.
First time ever attempting a whole hog for my son’s high school graduation party, was super nervous I’d mess up the temperature and end up with dry meat. Followed the recipe step by step, basted every hour like it said, and it turned out SO good. My in-laws even said it was better than the pig roast we get every year at the county fair! Only hiccup was getting the pig on the spit by myself — pro tip, grab a buddy to help lift that thing, it’s way heavier than it looks.
Quick question — I live in a pretty tight neighborhood in Queens, do you think I can pull this off with a smaller 30lb pig instead of the 75lb one the recipe calls for? I’ve got a standard charcoal rotisserie setup, just don’t need to feed 40 people, it’s just me, my wife, and a handful of neighbors for a casual Labor Day hang.
OMG, brought the pulled pork from this roast to my office potluck last week and people were swarming the table before I even set the platter down. The crispy skin bits (chicharrones!) were the first thing gone, I didn’t even get a single piece for myself lmao. Will absolutely be making this for our fall tailgate, no question.
Uh, full transparency, I messed up the skin pretty bad my first go at this. It was rubbery instead of crispy, total bummer because the meat itself was super juicy and flavorful. Anyone else run into that issue?
Did this for our family reunion in the Rockies last weekend, elevation about 7000ft. The cook took a little longer than the 8 hours listed, almost 9.5 total, but it turned out incredible! My kids loved pulling the pork apart and making their own sliders with coleslaw. 10/10, will be a new family tradition.
What’s your go-to mop sauce for this? I used a basic apple cider vinegar based mop but I felt like it was missing a little something, even though the hog came out great. Would love a recommendation for next time!
Wait a second, how far away from the house do you need to set up the roaster? I’m paranoid about starting a fire, especially since our patio is right up next to our wood fence. Don’t want to be the guy who burns down the neighborhood while trying to make dinner.
Pro move: serve this with that tangy vinegar coleslaw and soft potato rolls, you’ll think you died and went to pig roast heaven. I made the mistake of serving it with brioche buns last time, they were too sweet and competed with the pork flavor. The plain soft potato rolls are the way to go, trust me.
How many people does a whole 75lb hog actually feed? I’m planning for my daughter’s grad party, we’ve got about 50 people RSVP’d, is that enough food or should I pick up a couple extra sides to fill in?
I cannot stress enough how worth it is to save the crispy skin pieces. I chopped them up and sprinkled them over the pulled pork plates and people lost their minds. It’s like the best pork rind you’ve ever had, but better. Game. Changer.
Can I do this on a gas rotisserie instead of charcoal? I don’t have a charcoal setup and really don’t want to buy a whole new roaster just for one recipe, even though this looks amazing.
Did this for our first college football tailgate of the season and it was the most popular setup in the whole parking lot. Random people from other tailgates were coming over to ask for samples, we ended up making like 10 new friends by the end of the game. 10/10, best tailgate flex you can possibly pull off.
Heads up for anyone with food allergies — this recipe is totally gluten free if you skip any soy-based sauces in the mop! I did it for our family cookout where two of my nephews have celiac, and everyone could eat it no problem. Just double check your seasoning blends to make sure there’s no hidden wheat fillers.
Ugh, I tried this last weekend and the shoulder part was perfect but the hams were totally overcooked and dry. What did I do wrong? I kept the temp at 225 the whole time like the recipe said, I’m so confused.
How long do the leftovers last in the fridge? I’m making this for a party on Saturday and I know I’m gonna have a ton of pulled pork left, wanna make sure I can save it for meal prep for the week.
Raised our own pastured pig this year and used this recipe to roast him for our harvest party, and it was the most rewarding meal I’ve ever made. The meat was so flavorful, it didn’t even need a ton of seasoning, just the simple salt and pepper rub the recipe recommends. So grateful for this clear, easy to follow guide for a first time whole hog roast.
Quick PSA: keep your dogs inside when you’re pulling the pork off the spit. My 70lb lab snuck up and stole an entire giant chunk of pork right off the cutting board while I was grabbing a beer. He had the time of his life, I was out a good serving of meat lmao. Other than that, 10/10 recipe, turned out perfect.
I cater small backyard weddings for a living, and I’ve started offering this whole hog roast as a premium menu option. Clients go absolutely crazy for it, it’s such a fun, interactive meal that feels way more special than a standard catered buffet. This recipe is so consistent I’ve used it for 6 events this summer with zero bad batches. Worth every bit of prep work.