Juicy Smoked Pig Recipe: How to Smoke a Whole Pig

Smoking is the process of exposing food to smoke to cook, brown, and/or add flavor to it. Hot smoking a whole hog makes a dramatic impression at a summer cookout or backyard barbecue. Here is an overview of how to smoke a pig:

• Prep the pig. Begin the pig-smoking process by cleaning it thoroughly and patting it dry with paper towels. Next, you’ll need to butterfly it open by cutting along its breastbone and laying it flat, which will help it cook more quickly. Once you’ve cut it open and removed excess skin and tendons, apply a dry rub made of all of your favorite spices to the entire surface of the pig. For additional juiciness and flavor, mix up an injection marinade and insert it throughout the meat.
• Smoke the pig. Once you’ve cleaned and prepped the pig, enclose it in a heavy-duty smoker and simmer the animal for hours. The cooking time will depend on the size of the pig. A smaller hog will cook in 7 hours or less, while a larger animal could require up to 12 hours in the smoker.
• Watch the pig as it cooks. To enhance the moisture and smokiness of the whole hog, baste it with flavorful additions as it slowly cooks. Spritz the pig frequently with apple cider vinegar throughout the cooking process for a tangy flavor. Cover the pig with barbecue sauce toward the end of the smoking process for a sweeter, saucier flavor.

Follow these tips to smoke a whole pig like a true pitmaster:

1. 1. Pick the right pig. The size of a pig can range widely, from smaller pigs (in the 20–30 pound range, like suckling pigs) to massive 200-pound hogs. When selecting a whole pig for your barbecue, aim to serve about 1 pound of meat per person (keeping the size of your smoker in mind). For your first time, use a smaller pig (underneath 50 pounds) and work your way up from there. Order your pig ahead of time from a local butcher, pig farm, breeder, or grocery store and pick it up the morning of cooking to cut down on storage time in your home refrigerator.
2. 2. Prepare the pig for smoking. Before applying the injection marinade or BBQ rub to the pig, butterfly it open and remove any excess skin, fat, and tendons. Use a set of sharp kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut down the breastbone of the pig and press it flat, exposing more of the skin during the smoking process.
3. 3. Experiment with seasonings. Customize your smoked whole hog with the seasonings and sauces of your choice. For a subtle tang, brush the pig with mustard before adding the BBQ dry rub. Alter any barbecue rub with your favorite spices and herbs like cayenne pepper, chili powder, mustard powder, and cumin. Using a barbecue mop, brush the pork with your favorite BBQ sauce toward the end of the smoking process for extra flavor.
4. 4. Switch up the wood chips. If you’re smoking the pig in a wood pellet smoker, experiment with different wood chips to achieve variations in smoke flavor. Fruitier woods (like applewood and cherrywood) will infuse the meat with a mild smoke flavor. Conversely, more intense options (like hickory, pecan, and mesquite) will result in a more distinctly smoky taste. Learn more about smoking woods.
5. 5. Keep the temperature consistent. Monitor the smoker’s temperature to keep it consistent throughout the cooking process. Significant dips in temperature could result in unevenly cooked meat with a dry surface or an undercooked center.
6. 6. Check the temperature, not the time. The smoking time required to cook the pig properly will vary depending on the size of the hog and the temperature and model of the smoker. Insert a meat thermometer into the shoulder of the pig throughout the cooking process to track its temperature. Remove the pig from the smoker when its internal temperature reaches around 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
7. 7. Use every part of the pig. Make the most of your whole smoked hog by putting every part of it to use. Serve the pork shoulder in slices or as pulled pork for a sandwich. Slather the pork ribs, hams, loins, and tenderloins with your favorite barbecue sauce as part of a platter. Turn the pork butt into crispy burnt ends, use the pork belly as a bacon replacement, and serve the crispy skin as cracklins. Use the scraps to make tasty pork sausage and use the leftover bones to make homemade cooking stock.