Some people like to serve the cooked pig intact, allowing guests to choose the tidbits they want--a pig pickin' in the true sense of the word. Others, like Jim, prefer to remove the skin, bones, and gristle, then chop or pull the meat for easier handling. "A 100-pound hog will feed about 100 people if you serve it yourself, so if we're having a fair number of guests, I always arrange to serve it."
At the end of the day, a larger crowd of friends joins the cooking crew for the serious job of eating. A mountain of chopped smoked pork, hash and rice, coleslaw, and plenty of peppery sauce greet the guests. For Jim, who has been tending the fire since 5:30 a.m., it is time to enjoy his friends and the fruits of his labor. His and Weezie's hospitality envelops the group like a blanket of pork-scented smoke. The party continues into the night, everyone savoring the last bit of fun and food as they anticipate coming together again to roast another pig.
Cooking a Whole Pig
Jim Gibson, a Beaufort, South Carolina, lawyer with a long family tradition of barbecue, and Chris Lilly, pit master at Big
Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q (no relation to Jim Gibson) in Decatur, Alabama, offer these basics.
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