Breakfast took so long there wasn't much time to waist. As people were cleaning another team started cleaning intestines to make brats for lunch. Then there was the stuffing under the mosquito net to keep the flies off. We were well on our way to another day of over whelming pork consumption. Along with the bratwurst we had German potato salad (made without mayo sub pork fat) and a green salad and sauerkraut.
Eventually I got my hands on the finished brats. Threw them on to boil, then on the grill. They came out a little dry (thanks again no doubt to them being made from Beninese pork). But were delicious all the same. We didn't get lunch until mid afternoon, but that worked out well because the pig on the roast was putting up a bit of post-mortem struggle.
To tide us over we started to work on the pork rinds or “cracklins.” We had a huge basin of pork skin we had trimmed of the day before. A bit of salt and taco seasoning is all it took. It took a little experimenting, but we eventually got them right. Next time we will bake them before we boil them though.
As soon as the breakfast cleanup was finished we sent a delegation to retrieve our second pig. A pit was dug. Rebar, tin roofing, and chicken wire were bought and bartered for (with pig meat). And we were on our way to protein overload. By noon the second day we were a well oiled machine of cooking, eating, drinking, and doing our best to keep it clean.
When the 2nd pig arrived we encountered a whole new slew of questions. How does one pit roast a pig? How does one keep all the tasy bits from dribbling off? Well the answers were simple but not for the squeamish. We took two pieces of rebar, jammed them through the neck all of the way to the rear of the pig. Sliced the skin so it would crisp up really nicely. We then wrapped it like a carnitas burrito in chicken wire and finally, cut small holes through the ribcage and wove the third piece of rebar through.
There was a minor fire issue but that was quickly and easily regulated. After that we had a crack team of professionals watching (and drinking) near the pit at all times. Because the pig was to stay in the pit for 6 hours we started a second pit just for fresh coals. It went off with out a hitch. That evening we ate Pit roasted pig, more green salad, baked beans,and 3 types of pie: key lime, silk chocolate, and apple(all made with rendered pork lard).
After dinner the food comas set in and we crowded around the television for movies, around the computer screens, or under the mango tree for a bit of trivial pursuit. We all found our way to bed early after two long days of gluttony and the hard work that accompanies it.
Blog Note:
I have added an RSS option toward the bottom in the left hand column.
2 comments:
Most interesting. I would call it Porkapalooza. Good teamwork, synthesis of disparate information, adaptability. Boiling pork is much over-rated, isn't it? Did you render enough lard for frying? It is a great oil for things like tortilla type breads, fried starchy things we call potatoes here, and other vegs.
The chicken wire sounds a good idea. Most pig pits are classically lined with big leaves, banana being preferred by many. There is a Cajachina cooking box in cuban cuisine that is ideal for pork variations. I like the rebar as a spit, did you know most rebar is recycled metal? Very greenish. Sustainable.
The best is the brats. More pork fat and some rice in there adds to moisture, as do bits of fruit and veges- think of it as Hawaiian pizza in an intestine.
PORK! We had a pig at sloshball in Golden Gate Park this year...but we certainly didnt do it ourselves...kudos!
Post a Comment