Whole Hog, Round Two: This Time with More Crispy Skin and Fewer Cinder Blocks

Here are seven things I will do differently when I smoke my second whole hog this fall.

This week’s guest article is written by Monk, a native of North Carolina and co-founder of the Barbecue Bros blog. Along with his friends and fellow Barbecue Bros Speedy and Rudy, Monk has traveled around eating, rating, ranking, and reviewing barbecue joints since 2012. If you want to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.

As we near the end of the summer and fall starts to get close, my mind inevitably turns to the question I've thought about off and on since Father's Day of 2019: "When am I going to smoke another whole hog?"

Well, 2025 is the year I am making firm plans to do just that. I was quite happy with how everything turned out last time, but I did learn some lessons from the initial cook that I plan on changing up for my second pig six years later. In no particular order, here's what I'm going to do differently after much time to reflect and the chance to try more whole hog joints.

I'm Using a Pig Cooker Instead of Cinder Blocks

As fun as a cinder block and rebar pit was, for me, that experience may end up being a one-and-done. Thankfully, I at least didn't have to purchase 80-odd cinder blocks and instead was able to borrow them from Garren of Jon G's Barbecue. And while Garren graciously offered to drop them off and pick them up, those blocks were a pain to get from the driveway to my backyard and then back again when the time came to pick them back up. Not to mention, I was out of town when Garren needed to pick them up, and my poor dad had to do it by himself in the July summer heat. This time, I will be using a BQ Grill, specifically designed for whole hog cooking.

I Will Get Coals Going Before the Cook

One of the lessons learned from the first time around was that I didn't get enough coals going, so I was constantly playing catch-up in terms of waiting for coals to burn down before I could add them to keep the temperature consistent. So much so that Speedy made a middle-of-the-night run to a 24-hour Walmart to pick up a few bags of charcoal to help kickstart the fire. This time around, I'm loading the burn barrel full of wood and will keep adding more while also proactively getting a couple of bags of charcoal in case I need them.

I'll Throw Some Pork Butts On (Just in Case)

In hindsight, I played a slightly risky game by smoking the pig last time around with no Plan B. What if I struggled to get the fire going? What if Speedy and I both fell asleep (literally) on the job? What if the pig cook took longer than I had planned? What if people started showing up, and I couldn't tell them when the food would be ready? That's the nightmare of any cook, whether it's a barbecue or not, so I'm going to make sure I am well-prepared, just in case, with some pork butts.

I'm Going to Crisp Up the Skin and Chop It In

Last time around, I made a half-hearted attempt to crisp up the skin as party attendees arrived, but ultimately did not get it crispy enough so that you had a contrast between the texture of the crispy skin and the pork. Thinking back to some of the best pork I've had both this year (at City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia, SC) and all-time (from Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC, and from Sam Jones' pop-ups as well as his restaurants in Winterville and Raleigh), those crispy bits are really what set it apart. I'm going to make it a point to recreate that as best I can.

I Won’t Waste Any Pig This Time Around

Due to carelessness, not enough rebar, and a lack of sleep, last time around, I ended up accidentally dropping a whole quarter of the pig onto the ground of the pit. Now, I was able to salvage most of what dropped, but the last thing you want to do is spend all that time, energy, and money on a pig only to (accidentally or not) waste any of it.

I Will Try the Head This Time

The head was included with the pig last time around, and I may have thrown it on the pit for show, but I did not even think of trying any part of it, which, as any barbecue aficionado knows, is known for being really tasty. Had I researched more ahead of time, I would have realized that the muscles in a pig's head, especially the cheeks, are known for being tender and flavorful due to their high fat and collagen content. Next time around, I'm going to make sure I at least try some pig cheeks.

I'm Recruiting a Crew

Last time around, it was just Speedy and me. While we more than managed, we were both pretty pooped the next day for the actual party after taking shifts through the night. I've got some friends I'm planning to call upon to help out with the cooking and make the time pass more enjoyable. Because if you're going to do a whole hog, you might as well enjoy the process, right?

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How will it turn out? Will these changes ultimately help or hurt my second whole hog cook? Check back with The Smoke Sheet in a few months to find out how it went and if there are more things I'd switch up for an eventual third whole hog.

Monk
Co-Founder, Barbecue Bros