Today’s spotlight is on a Whole Hog BBQ.

Whole hog barbecue involves cooking an entire hog in one piece over a pit in the ground. It’s a time- and labor-intensive process. Whole hog barbecue is a regional style of barbecue where a pitmaster cooks an entire hog. The hog smoked for hours on a wood pit. The meat is seasoned with sauces like mustard-based, tomato-based, or vinegar-based.

To serve, the skin is cracked along the back, hams, and shoulders. The meat should pull easily from the bone. Guests can choose the type of meat they want, such as:

Loin, Tenderloin, Shoulder, Hams, Belly, Ribs.

History

Whole hog barbecue is the oldest continuous form of barbecue in the United States. It originated in Eastern North Carolina over 350 years ago. The cooking technique can be traced to American Indians, who cooked whole animals over fire. It flourished in the South, where slaves would cook whole animals on plantations to feed large groups of people.

The style of barbecue was commercialized in 1919 with the opening of two stands in Lexington, North Carolina. The barbecue was made entirely from pork shoulder, so it was a bit fattier and juicier than its Eastern counterparts.

North Carolina is known for the “whole hog”, which means utilizing every part of the pig. North Carolina has two separate sauce styles: Lexington Sauce, a tomato-based red sauce with vinegar, and Eastern Sauce, a simple blend of vinegar and pepper. The tradition started with vinegar-based chopped whole-hog barbecue.

The word barbecue comes from the language of a Caribbean Indian tribe called the Taino. Their word for grilling on a raised wooden grate is barbacoa.

 

Here are some fun facts about whole hog barbecue:

• Whole hog barbecue is the oldest continuous form of barbecue in the United States.
• The tradition started in Eastern North Carolina over 350 years ago.
• The cooking technique can be traced to American Indians.
• Slaves on plantations would cook whole animals to feed large groups of people.
• The process involves cooking an entire hog in one piece over a pit in the ground.
• A whole pig can easily feed 50 to 100 people and still have leftovers.
• It takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours for every 10 pounds of pig. For example, a 50-pounder will take 5 to 7 hours, and a 180-pounder needs more than 18 hours.
• The vinegar-based chopped whole-hog barbecue is where it all began.

 

Here is a whole hog recipe for you to try:

A whole pig can easily feed 50 to 100 people and still have leftovers to take home.

To cook a whole hog, you can:

1. Place the pig on the grill, skin side down.
2. Cook at 250 degrees for about 3 hours.
3. Increase the heat to 275.
4. Cook for another ~5 hours until the internal temp reaches at least 190 degrees.
5. Optionally, mop with a vinegar-based sauce after 6 hours.
6. Enjoy!

 

Consumption:

The average American consumes 50 pounds of pork per year. In 2021, the per capita consumption of pork in the United States was 51.1 pounds.

Pork is the third most consumed meat in the United States, behind beef and chicken. Most pork is consumed at home. The Midwest has the highest pork consumption, followed by the South, the Northeast, and the West.

In 2021, almost 129 million hogs were slaughtered in the United States. Pork will maintain quality for at least 6 months in the freezer.

 

Celebrating Whole Hog BBQ

National whole hog barbecue day is October 22 or the third Saturday in October.

On National Whole Hog Barbecue Day and you are invited to indulge in one of the South’s most revered traditions. Let us know in the comments if you have ever been to or had a Whole Hog BBQ party.