Over the years, several of our guests have asked us how we roast a whole pig. There is no one way to do it, but here’s our method:

Purchase a whole pig (duh). We get ours from Ben Meyer’s Revel Meat Co.

Make a rub. Ours is a combination of Kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, garlic granules, and onion powder, although the recipe might vary from year to year.

Rub that pig! We moisten the pig with yellow mustard so the rub adheres better. Water is fine to use also.

Let the pig sit in the fridge. This is a process called dry brining. We try to dry brine at least 12 hours.

Start your cooker. Our cooker is made from cinder blocks and a steel grate. There are four openings at the bottom with drawers we use for charcoal. We get the cooker up to around 300 degrees. We use two thermometers to get temperature readings.

Wrap the pig in a wire frame. This will make it easier to flip the pig later.

Place the pig in the cooker. The pig goes in open side down. The cold pig will cause the temperature to decrease. We aim to keep the temperature between 225 and 250 degrees.

Flip that pig! We let the pig go for three to four hours depending on how well we regulated the temperature, then we fill it so the skin side is down and the open side is up. We periodically mop the pig with a solution of water, cider vinegar, honey or brown sugar, and vegetable oil. This helps keep the meat juicy.

Depending the size of the pig, it can take three or more before it’s finished.

Shred like Jimi Hendrix. Take the pig out of the cooker and place on a clean table (we cover it with butcher paper). Open the wire frame and slide it from under the pig. Start pulling and tearing the meat with your hands (there’s a reason it’s called pulled pork). Heat proof gloves are a must for this task, and it’s better with at least three people.

That’s it. Now it’s time to feed your guests and yourself.