American
Carolina Whole Hog Barbecue
Carolina whole hog barbecue with chopped pork, crisp skin bits, smoke, and sharp vinegar pepper sauce.
24 servings · 90 minutes prep · 780 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 1 small dressed whole hog, 45-55 lb, split butterfly-style
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup black pepper
- 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 1 gallon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp fine salt, for sauce
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground, for sauce
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper, for sauce
Directions
General
- Pat hog dry. Season the cavity and skin side with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Refrigerate or hold iced 12 hours.
- Prepare a charcoal pit or large smoker for indirect heat at 225-250F.
- Place hog skin side down. Cook slowly, adding coals as needed, until shoulders reach 195F and hams reach 185F, 10-12 hours.
- Flip carefully during the final hour to crisp patches of skin without scorching.
- Whisk vinegar, hot sauce, sugar, sauce salt, sauce black pepper, and sauce crushed red pepper.
- Rest the hog in a clean warm holding area for 30-45 minutes; keep cooked meat above 140F until chopping and serving.
- Pull meat from shoulders, hams, belly, and loin. Chop together with bits of crisp skin and season with vinegar sauce to taste.
