MISC: Pig Roast

Lord of the Flies
Originally uploaded by ktglick.

I have some friends that are lucky enough to be renting a house with a yuuuuuge backyard. One of their clever ideas for utilizing this outdoor space was an annual pig roast. A real pig roast. Roasting the whole pig. That's right, they roasted a whole pig.

Last year was the prototype. A spit was built and the pig placed upon, with a crank for turning and a fire underneath. And the pig cooked. And cooked. And cooked. I believe it was around 10 p.m. before people began to consume the pig, and I was long gone, having already consumed enough snacks and beer to bring on my bedtime.

This year they had learned from the previous year and things progressed on a much quicker schedule. A cinder block "oven" was built around the fire to hold in the heat, and an ingenius exercise bike/conveyer belt device was rigged to allow for easier cranking of the spit. This time I got a call at 3:00 letting me know that dinner would be served on time this year and I'd better get my butt over there.

By the time I got there, at around 5:00, the pig was almost ready. I "helped" with the preparation of some cornbread, macaroni with gruyere and prosciutto, and collard greens. Helping consisted of watching, offering commentary, and talking with the hostess while she prepared it. I am convinced that the tastiness of all of these dishes was due, at least in part, to my excellent conversational skills.

The pig was then taken down from the spit and the meat pulled from the bones. The roasters had placed had placed a duck inside, which was itself stuffed with tofu wrapped in bacon for added flavor. I'm sad to say that I did not sample the pork because although I love many pig products, such as bacon and prosciutto, I am not generally a fan of pork. But J. said it was magically delicious and tender and yummy. The dogs concurred and enthusastically devoured not just the ears, but the hooves and skin as well.

Well-Behaved Dogs Wait for Their Pig Treats

I had myself a plate of mac & cheese, corn bread and collard greens. The mac & cheese was out of this world. It was baked with gruyere and prosciutto and had just the right balance of crispy crust and creamy center with some delicious saltiness from the meat. The corn bread was soft and not too crumbly with little bits of cheddar for a nice surprise. Finally, the hostess was disappointed with her collard greens, as they were not as wilted as she wanted. But I prefer my greens to be crisper, as it gives me the illusion of health, even if they are slathered in bacon fat.

All in all, it was a satisfying day. Top it off with a bottle of Fin du Monde beer and some good weather and good company and you have yourself a really nice Sunday.