| Nothing beats a hog roast but in Bristol you may have | | | | choose the type of wood to use and also make sure |
| trouble catering for the feast whilst trying to socialise. | | | | that you have enough. Apple or cherry wood is lovely |
| Hog roasts are the picture of a feast; Asterix of Gaul's | | | | to burn under a hog but almost any wood will be fine |
| adventures would always end in a banquet under the | | | | except pine and yew as these tend to give an acrid |
| stars with his tribe and the tribal element of eating a | | | | flavour to the meat. Charcoal will also infuse the meat |
| hog roast has not died. But, whilst Asterix's tribe had | | | | with a lovely flavour and is easier to manage than |
| many people who were available to prepare and cook | | | | wood. The easiest of all is to get a fully integrated gas |
| the hog we, in the modern day do not. When planning | | | | spit roast for you hog. These can be hired and |
| a hog roast most people get really excited but as | | | | delivered and are fairly controllable. Make sure that |
| soon as they dig a little deeper they get despondent | | | | when you book it you know how big the hog is going |
| asking questions like where are we going to get a pig, | | | | to be as the gas barbeque comes in different sizes |
| how do we get it home and how long do we have to | | | | and you wouldn't want a BBQ that's too small for your |
| cook it for? | | | | hog, or a hog that looks too small on your BBQ. |
| Well this article is going to try to answer some of | | | | Now you're almost ready to get the beast on the pole. |
| those questions. Firstly, in Bristol, there are lots of | | | | The pole should be at least seven feet long and one |
| places to buy a pig. There are many free range and | | | | inch in diameter and should rest on the supports at |
| also organic pig farmers which is important when you | | | | about two feet above the heat. You also need fixing |
| think that you're going to eat the beast fairly soon | | | | skewers to stop the pig from slipping as it is rotated. |
| after it has been slaughtered. Intensively farmed swine | | | | So, lay the pig on a table, stuffed and sown up and |
| do not make the best hog roasts. So, one of the | | | | pass the pole from the back end of the animal to the |
| closest places to buy a hog is Barrow Gurney, south | | | | mouth. Make sure that there's an equal amount of pole |
| of Bristol; they not only supply great quality pork but | | | | at both ends. You might like to light the fire about now. |
| also beef. A small pig farmer will take far more interest | | | | A good stuffing for a hog roast is apricots, nuts, sour |
| in you as he will have a passion for his work and will | | | | cherries and apples mixed with breadcrumbs and |
| want to share his knowledge so why not ask him how | | | | sausage meat. Once mixed, stuff the belly of the pig |
| to roast a hog because although you may have a | | | | with the stuffing and sew it up using a blanket stitch |
| good idea of how to roast it, he may have a few tips | | | | and baste the beast with an oily vinaigrette (tip- make |
| that you hadn't thought of. You also might like to try | | | | sure that the stitching is always wet with the baste as |
| going to your local, high street butcher, once again he | | | | otherwise it'll burn and you'll lose your stuffing). |
| will have to order it and this may take upwards of a | | | | Is the fire good and hot, has it been burning for at least |
| month. | | | | an hour? Good, now, with a friend lift the pig on a spit |
| Next, how do you get it home and where do you | | | | over to the supports either side of the fire or into the |
| store it? There will be blood so don't forget some | | | | gas BBQ and start rotating the beast over the heat. |
| protective coverings for your car boot and also | | | | Turn the spit every 5-10 minutes. Now you just have |
| remember to wear some old clothes. You may want | | | | to wait for it to cook- between six and eight hours. |
| to bring a friend to help carry the hog, as they can be | | | | Test whether the meat is cooked by inserting a knife |
| very heavy. As for storing it- it'll need to be | | | | into the leg and look for the juices to run clear. If they |
| somewhere cool and inside, maybe in a pantry, a | | | | do, get a couple of friends to help lift the hog off the |
| larder or in the garage. | | | | support and onto a table then all of you together |
| You've got the beast home and now you have to | | | | carve and serve up so that all your guests receive hot |
| cook it. Firstly you must decide whether you're going to | | | | meat and stuffing. Now that the sun is setting you and |
| use charcoal, wood or gas. Wood is best because it | | | | your tribe can make like Asterix and his gang at |
| will add a great flavour to the meat but you'll have to | | | | another great banquet. |