A friend of mine who is a very good trout fisherman, a formidable cook, and a sometime poet, sent me a couple of odes to swine that he had composed. I, having no poetry in my soul, sent him this description of a pig pull, a cultural and culinary experience that is without equal in the western world. I thought you might be interested as well.
A pig pull is a form of gluttony practiced in the Deep South. It’s suitable for anywhere from half a dozen to 50 people.
First, kill the pig. You need an adult swine for this, and adult swine are quite intelligent, so when the designated shooter walks up to the sty with a rifle, the piggy knows exactly what is about to happen. Watching this took some of the fun out of the event for me, and even more out of it for the hog.
Scald the pig and scrape it. Leave the skin on.
Gut it, and save the liver.
Build a grill out of chunks of railroad track or whatever scrap iron you have in the backyard. You need something about 8 feet square. Build a hardwood fire underneath it (hickory, ash, or oak) and let it burn down to coals.
Put the pig on the grill and cook at a low heat for about…
