How to Roast a Whole Pig on a Pellet Grill
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If you like to show off your cooking skills, load a whole pig on your Traeger grill -- you don’t need a spit to go whole hog. A whole roasted pig will make your gathering epic and it’s completey feasible with this roasted pig tutorial.
Smoke that baby low and slow all day long, and let the hardwood smoke kiss every inch with delicious hardwood flavor. This pig roasting method takes about 36 hours, from prep to finish, so holler for your favorite friends and get the party started. The crowd will go wild for primal wood-fired pork.
Roasted pork is wonderful in pulled pork sandwiches or chopped and topped with BBQ sauce and accompanied by coleslaw or beans.
How to Roast a Whole Pig on a Pellet Grill:
1. Pick up a whole, gutted, and hairless pig from your butcher shop. A 65-pound pig will feed about 150 people and yields 35 pounds of cooked pork.
2. Remove the pig feet at the knee from the shin down to fit the whole hog inside a Pro 34 or larger size grill. For smaller wood-fired grills, select a smaller pig or remove the head.
3. Coat the entire pig, inside and out, with yellow mustard. Use about half of a bottle to create a sticky surface for seasoning to adhere to.
4. Create your own BBQ pig rub or select one from our delicious flavors. Prime Rib Rub or Pork and Poultry Shake tastes great on pork.
5. Rub about 2/3 of the BBQ rub bottle over the entire pig from snout to curly tail.
6. Slice just below the skin on the upper part of the backbone to expose the back and add mustard and rub between the meat and skin to give it a deeper flavoring. The salt in the rub will penetrate the meat and allow the spices to sink into the whole hog.
7. Preheat your Traeger by setting it to Smoke for about 5 minutes with the lid open. Then set the temperature to a low cook temperature just above smoke, about 225 degrees F, and continue pre-heating the wood-fired oven with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Put the pig on the grill and cook it low and slow for 5 hours.
9. Increase the grill temperature to 325 degrees F and continue roasting the pig for an additional 2 to 3 hours, or until grill meat probes or a temperature probe stuck in the pork shoulder registers an internal temperature of 205 degrees F.
10. Remove the pig from the grill, pull chunks of pork from the pig, and roughly chop it into chunks.
11. Mix in some of the remaining rub to flavor. Add a bottle your favorite Traeger BBQ sauce, and serve on your favorite buns. With a whole roasted pig you can eat the crackling or pig skin, it has amazing flavor.
13. To give your BBQ sauce some originality, smoke the pig feet, then cook them in a pan on the grill in the BBQ sauce to add a robust flavor to the sauce.
14. Enjoy!
Roasting Note: If you’re cooking a smaller pig, it will take about 4 to 6 hours to roast a whole pig, but always determine when it’s finished cooking by the internal temperature.
Tips & Tricks From the Pros on Mastering a Whole Roast Pig
If you like to show off your cooking skills, load a whole pig on your Traeger grill -- you don’t need a spit to go whole hog. A whole roasted pig will make your gathering epic and it’s completey feasible with this roasted pig tutorial.
Smoke that baby low and slow all day long, and let the hardwood smoke kiss every inch with delicious hardwood flavor. This pig roasting method takes about 36 hours, from prep to finish, so holler for your favorite friends and get the party started. The crowd will go wild for primal wood-fired pork.
Roasted pork is wonderful in pulled pork sandwiches or chopped and topped with BBQ sauce and accompanied by coleslaw or beans.
Smoked Whole Hog
by Traeger Kitchen
17 Reviews
Prep Time
15 Min
Cook Time
7 Hr
Pellets
Hickory
Impress your guests at your next cookout with this whole smoked hog recipe. From snout to tail, this little piggy tastes darn delicious.
Ingredients
main
| 6 1/3 Cup | apple juice |
| 1 Cup | Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub, divided |
| 30-40 lb whole hog, dressed | |
| 1/2 Cup | yellow mustard |
| 1/2 Cup | Canola oil |
Sauce
| 3/4 Cup | apple cider vinegar |
| 3 Tablespoon | kosher salt |
| 2 Tablespoon | hot sauce |
1
When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 225°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke, if available.
2
In a medium bowl or container, combine the apple juice and 1/2 cup Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub and stir well to dissolve the rub.
3
Inject the apple juice mixture into the hog, focusing on the hams and shoulders. Rub the inside of the cavity with the mustard and season with the remaining 1/2 cup Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub.
4
Place the hog directly on the grill grates, skin-side up. Insert the probe into the ham or shoulder. Close the lid and cook for 2 hours.
5
Baste the outside of the hog with the canola oil to help develop a deep mahogany color and crisp the skin. Close the lid and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 203°F, 5-6 hours more.
6
Remove the hog from the grill and let rest for 25 minutes.
7
Make the sauce: In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, salt, and hot sauce.
8
Pull and shred the meat from the hog and transfer to a large dish. Pour the sauce over the pulled meat and toss to mix well.
9
Serve the meat on its own, or in sandwiches, tacos, or your favorite application. Enjoy!
