Smoked Suckling Pig…On a MiniMax?

Yes, you did read that right, this week, we figured out if it is possible to cook an entire suckling pig in that tiny little Big Green Egg MiniMax.  We were brainstorming for ideas for new videos when someone brought up the idea to smoke a whole pig.  Well, we can’t just leave well enough alone and we started making jokes about crazy ideas.  Someone brought up doing it in the MiniMax and the lightbulb went off for all of us.  Our idea was going to become a video.  Now, how the heck do we do it?  Once that you watch the video, I believe that you will agree that we came up with a great method but did the results turn out well!  Watch and see!

If you’re wondering exactly what a suckling pig is, let me tell you.  It is traditionally a piglet that has not yet been weaned off the mother’s milk.  Usually between 2 and 6 weeks old, they are generally served roasted whole for holidays and gatherings.  

Video Recipe

Directions

1. Wipe down the entire pig and get it nice and dry.  You will also want to trim off any extra silver skin from the underside and any loose hanging pieces of fat or skin.  Rub the kosher salt into the skin and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours.  This will help dry out the skin and give you as crispier finished product.  Once the pig comes out of the fridge, wipe off the salt and dry the skin.  Flip the pig over and liberally coat the inner side with your rub of choice. 
2. Fill the grill with FOGO charcoal and set up the grill for indirect cooking.   You want to cook this low and slow so there should be no direct heat for this cook.  Add smoking chunks at this point if you are choosing to use them.  Get the temperature at a steady 250-275°.  I went a little bit hotter, and the skin did not crisp as much as I would have liked.  Maybe a little lower temperature and longer cooking would have benefited here.
3. Place the pig on the grill so that the skin side is up.  As much possible exposed skin is what you are going for here.  Arrange it so that the entire pig can get indirect heat all around it.  If you’d like to put an apple in the pig’s mouth for serving, use something to wedge his mouth open.  As it cooks, it will form and stay in the open position.  Of you are going to use a “leave in” thermometer, place your probe into the thickest part of the rear leg.  This is the ham and will give the most accurate reading.
4. Close the lid and let the pig cook.  You are shooting for a final temperature of around 203°.  This should take about 4 to 5 hours at 275°.
5. Remove the pig, rest, carve and serve.

Once you take the pig off the grill, allow it to rest while you arrange the pig on a platter.  To carve, make parallel cuts along the shoulders and just above the tail line.  Make one long cut down the backbone and peel the skin down both sides of the pig.  Use your hands to pull all of the meat from the bones.  Don’t forget, the sweetest meat in the while pig is in the cheeks so do not leave that there!