These things start so simply then...

Lets have a suckling pig for Xmas Dinner

great idea

Oven too small

Much better cooked on a spit over a fire pit or large bbq apparently

Googled spit roast some interesting but completely irrelevant links
"relationship advice"

can find hog roast spits which are far too big and cost nearly as much as
the suckling pig

Have worked out the stands for the spit so no problem there

So to my question how to make a spit for a suckling pig

Thinking mild steel bar and rod to keep the cost down and it may be a one
off use

An American site recommends big jubilee clips 3 to 8 inch to hold the
various limbs in place

A couple of U bolts and plates?

not sure as to dimensions of pig apart from about 600 mm long

Size and construction of forked spikey bit still causing some head
scratching should i try to design something adjustable?

any general or specific advice really appreciated

On 01/11/2010 10:56, TMC wrote:
These things start so simply then...

Lets have a suckling pig for Xmas Dinner

great idea

Oven too small

Much better cooked on a spit over a fire pit or large bbq apparently

Googled spit roast some interesting but completely irrelevant links
"relationship advice"

can find hog roast spits which are far too big and cost nearly as much
as the suckling pig

Have worked out the stands for the spit so no problem there

So to my question how to make a spit for a suckling pig

Thinking mild steel bar and rod to keep the cost down and it may be a
one off use

An American site recommends big jubilee clips 3 to 8 inch to hold the
various limbs in place

A couple of U bolts and plates?

not sure as to dimensions of pig apart from about 600 mm long

Size and construction of forked spikey bit still causing some head
scratching should i try to design something adjustable?

any general or specific advice really appreciated


Our next door neighbours have got a big barbecue made by a place in
Archway, London that supplies skewers for doner kebab places and the like.

There are battery powered motors on one end for turning, but they use cm
square bar (or maybe 3/8 inch), and I think it's stainless, (Mild steel
will rust especially if treated with heat.

So catering suppliers for the kebab shop market might be your best bet.

Our big spit for a full size pig is a round bar about scaffold pole size
diameter in stainless steel, and we have clamps which screw into
longditudinal bars to hold mr or ms piggy in place. If you want more
details I can show you a picture of our clamping arrangement.

dedics

On 2010-11-01 13:27:10 +0000, Owain said:

On Nov 1, 10:56*am, "TMC" wrote:
can find hog roast spits which are far too big and cost nearly as much as
the suckling pig
Size and construction of forked spikey bit still causing some head
scratching should i try to design something adjustable?

This site has lots of pics you could copy

http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD/ROTISS/GRIZZLY

Spit fork is at
http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD...-SPIT-FORK-P80

Have

you got a price for suckling pig yet, apparently they can be
expensive as farmers would rather fatten them and get the profit on
the larger beast.

it's not just that - most abattoirs charge the same for slaughtering a
suckling pig as a 150kg boar!


Owain

On 2010-11-01 10:56:09 +0000, TMC said:

These things start so simply then...

Lets have a suckling pig for Xmas Dinner

great idea

Oven too small

Much better cooked on a spit over a fire pit or large bbq apparently

Googled spit roast some interesting but completely irrelevant links
"relationship advice"

can find hog roast spits which are far too big and cost nearly as much
as the suckling pig

Have worked out the stands for the spit so no problem there

So to my question how to make a spit for a suckling pig

Thinking mild steel bar and rod to keep the cost down and it may be a
one off use

An American site recommends big jubilee clips 3 to 8 inch to hold the
various limbs in place

A couple of U bolts and plates?

not sure as to dimensions of pig apart from about 600 mm long

Size and construction of forked spikey bit still causing some head
scratching should i try to design something adjustable?

any general or specific advice really appreciated

Another option, at least for a full sized pig is something like this:
http://cuban-christmas.com/pigroast.html It might end up with too dry
a suckling pig.

I did a half pig roast (i.e. one side) done sort of like this this
year, and it didn't go without a hitch.

I used an old brick built outhouse for the "frame". I knocked it down
to about a metre in height, and then used mild steel mesh with steel
bar stengthing supports to hold the pig. This was then suspended above
coals, either side, with drip trays in the middle to catch the fat (to
avoid an inferno).

Sadly, inferno ensued when one of the drip trays turned out to be
aluminium, and melted, dumping nearly boiling lard onto white hot
coals. Cue enormous fire - with flames coming at least 6 foot above
the pig. At this point the solid plaster which I hadn't managed to
hack off the inside of the outhouse started exploding, showerig guests
with plaster.

Eventially we used a 5ft iron bar to drag the flaming pig off the
outhouse just as the mesh was distorting, and put it out with copious
amounts of water. We lost the crackling, but the meat was just fine.

Next time I'll leave more room for the coals (i.e. have them further
away horizontally from the pig) and have all steel drip trays.

Piers Finlayson wrote:

Another option, at least for a full sized pig is something like this:
http://cuban-christmas.com/pigroast.html It might end up with too dry
a suckling pig.

Similar to the Italian approach which is to take a young pig - less than
a year old, de-bone it, spread the meat with a "mix of secret herbs and
spices[1]) and marinade it then roll it up like a Swiss roll and bake it
in a brick oven for 12 hours. It's served by slicing like Swiss roll and
it's brilliant. It's called porchetta and the recipe that Jamie Oliver
has published is just crap[2].


[1] i.e. mostly salt.
[2] Quelle surprise.

"Owain" wrote in message
...
On Nov 1, 10:56 am, "TMC" wrote:
can find hog roast spits which are far too big and cost nearly as much as
the suckling pig
Size and construction of forked spikey bit still causing some head
scratching should i try to design something adjustable?

This site has lots of pics you could copy

http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD/ROTISS/GRIZZLY

Spit fork is at
http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD...-SPIT-FORK-P80

Have you got a price for suckling pig yet, apparently they can be
expensive as farmers would rather fatten them and get the profit on
the larger beast.

Owain

yep around £100 for an inported to £120 (for a locally reared rare breed
type including abbatoir and delivery charges)

Certainly not cheap but it is for xmas dinner for the family

"TMC" wrote in message
...

"Owain" wrote in message

...
On Nov 1, 10:56 am, "TMC" wrote:
can find hog roast spits which are far too big and cost nearly as
much as
the suckling pig
Size and construction of forked spikey bit still causing some head
scratching should i try to design something adjustable?

This site has lots of pics you could copy

http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD/ROTISS/GRIZZLY

Spit fork is at

http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD...-SPIT-FORK-P80

Have you got a price for suckling pig yet, apparently they can be
expensive as farmers would rather fatten them and get the profit on
the larger beast.

Owain

yep around £100 for an inported to £120 (for a locally reared rare
breed
type including abbatoir and delivery charges)

Certainly not cheap but it is for xmas dinner for the family


I can provide you with a rare breed locally raised suckling pig for
somewhat less than that here in East Sussex. If interested de-munge my
reply address

They are Gloucester Old Spot cross Large Black which makes a good
tasting long pig. Currently 20-25 kgs live weight

AWEM