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(Check out the rest of our Summer of Pig coverage.)

For some people, a single Boston butt or rack of ribs isn’t enough. Or maybe they have an entire neighborhood, or hungry troupe of Boy Scouts to feed. You could just up the quantity of pork you prepare, but where’s the spectacle in that? What you need is an old-fashioned pig roast.

This is not an endeavor to take lightly. Make a few mistakes — easy to do as an amateur — and that ravenous crowd of friends and family will turn ugly the third time you tell them it’ll be another hour before dinner is served. When intact, pigs are tricksy beasts, the carcasses incredibly heavy, the meat prone to uneven, slow cooking. Add in the cost of that big beast, and you might be feeling some jitters. But the Summer of Pig demands you try.

Don’t worry, CL’s got your back. Below are a few simple tips that’ll help you through your first attempt at this incredible feat.

The Pit Roast
The first step is ordering the pig. Your local butcher can take care of that, but plan ahead since it will often take a minimum of a week for it to come in. Ask the meatman to make sure that all the hair is removed, but to leave on the tail, ears and snout (for presentation, of course, and some tasty jowl meat). It will likely come frozen, so either pick it up in time to defrost the carcass yourself, or ask the butcher to do it. The night before the big day, slather it in whatever combination of liquid, salt, spices and herbs tickles your fancy, then make sure it stays cold until morning.

Classic whole-pig roasting — the kind you see at Hawaiian luaus — requires you to dig up the backyard. You’ll need a pit about two-and-a-half to three feet deep, and about five to seven feet across. Line the pit with rocks, bricks, stones, or any hard surface that’s handy, but try to avoid treated materials that might release toxic chemicals when heated (like glazed tiles). Light a massive fire using hardwood or charcoal, and throw some more rocks in once it’s blazing. When the fire has burned down to mere glowing, ashy coals, carefully take some of the rocks and fill the pig’s cavity (this will help promote even cooking). Truss the pig to keep those rocks in, then wrap it in chicken wire for easier handling.

Spread the coals around the pit and line with bannana leaves, corn husks, or any other non-toxic material else that’ll separate the pig from the rocks. Drop the pig in, carefully, cover with more leaves, then cover that with wet burlap to keep the meat moist. Drape a canvas cloth over the entire pit, then cover with dirt. Time to wait!

Cooking time will vary, sometimes dramatically, so best to start earlier than you think. As an estimate, a 75 pound pig (that’s live-weight, before it’s beeen butchered) should take about 4 hours. 150 pounds, 8 hours. make sure to leave yourself a couple of easy-access paths to the roasting pig so you can slap a meat thermometer into the meat. 160 degrees is the target — higher than when cooking a tenderloin, but it’s nice to be sure.

If the pig is done earlier than you predicted, it won’t overcook dramatically if you leave it in a little longer. Or you can dig it out and work on your presentation — an apple in its mouth is a classic — and let your guests see it splayed out on the table when they arrive. That’s always better than making them wait.

If that’s too much work, you have options:

• Make a “pit” oven using cinderblocks, arranged in a rectangle, then line with heavy-duty aluminum foil. It’s essentially the same, without the dirt.
• Buy a Caja China roasting box, which is a portable, commercial version of a pit that works incredibly well. Only small pigs will fit, though.
• Slap a rotisserie into your grill, or create one with sticks and twine over an open flame. The pig should be about a foot from the heat source, and you need to keep it spinning for a very long time.
• Small pigs can be butterflied and grilled. Just hit the pig on the back hard enough to crack the bones, then drop it splayed open onto a low fire, around 200-250 degrees. Yet again, depending on your grill, you’ll likely need a smaller pig for this.

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