Pig Roast--Pit Style

1 whole suckling pig, approx. 10 pounds or more, gutted, cleaned, scraped
and with the feet cut off
OR
1 very large pork roast, 10 pounds or more, rinsed

1 quart white vinegar
salt
pepper
granulated garlic

1. Prepare the barbecue pit. Dig a hole 2-3 feet deep by 2 feet wide.
Use one 15 pound bag of good-brand charcoal. Put two thirds of the charcoal
in the bottom of the pit. If the ground is wet, line with stones first.

1. After thoroughly rinsing the pig, put it in a soup pot or large crock
and pour on the vinegar. Soak for 30 min. to an hour, turning twice.

2. Drain the pig and reserve 1 cup of the vinegar. Rub the pig thoroughly
inside and out with plenty of salt, pepper and granulated garlic. If you
like, you can make small knife-slits in the surface of the pig and insert
slivers of fresh garlic.

3. Wrap the pig for roasting. Stack three full layers of heavy duty
aluminum foil, tearing off pieces that are about 8" longer than the pig on
either side. Lightly grease the inside of the foil with margarine or oil.
Fold the foil around the pig to make a package, ROLLING the layers of foil
together at the seams to make a very tight seal all around. When the
package is sealed up, wrap it again tightly in another layer of foil.

4. Start the charcoal in the bottom of the pit. When it begins to ash
over, cover it with a thin layer of medium-sized stones or a few bricks.
Set the wrapped pig on top. Surround the pig with the rest of the charcoal
and get it started. When the second layer of charcoal ashes over, turn the
pig and fill in the hole with dirt.

5. Allow to cook in the pit for 5-6 hours, longer than that for pigs
larger than 10 pounds.

6. Dig up the pig, remove to a platter with two spatulas, and partially
unwrap it. Test the pig for doneness: Cut into the thigh next to the
bone; it should be very well done (white) and pull off the bone easily.
Check the rib cavity also to make sure that the meat is uniformly white
(well done) and shreds easily, not pinkish. If underdone , rewrap the pig
and put it in a hot oven (400 degrees) for one hour or until thoroughly
cooked.

7. Place the pig on a platter and surround with parsley and either
radishes or candied crab apples. Carve it up and serve.

Alternate excellent accompaniments for this dish are: fresh pineapple
slices, fruit salad, mashed butternut squash with butter and nutmeg,
vinegar-dressed cole slaw, small whole garlic-roasted or boiled potatoes,
"King's Hawaiin" bread or rolls.

I first enjoyed roast suckling pig prepared in this manner in San Juan,
Puerto Rico. If you don't live in the country and can't dig a hole in
your yard, you can prepare this in a smoker. But it must COOK for
*at least* 10 hours and you must replenish the charcoal supply every
3-4 hours throughout the process to keep the heat in the "ideal" range.

Start early in the day.