Some pig for pigskin's big day
While turkey might rule the day on Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving weekend is a big one for football fans. Families often gather in the living room to watch pro football on Thanksgiving Day, and the pigskin theme continues for the rest of the weekend to watch college football. Those planning a weekend-long party this holiday season could leave the leftovers in the fridge and cook for a crowd with the following recipe for "The Big Kahuna" from Andrew Schloss and David Joachim's "Mastering the Grill" (Chronicle Books).
The Big Kahuna
Makes About 15 Servings
For the pig:
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups unsweetened shredded
coconut
2 cups long-grain rice
1 can (about 14 oz.) coconut milk
21/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
11/2 cups coarsely chopped dried
pineapple
1/2 cup coarsely chopped
crystallized ginger
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup dried tart cherries
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly
sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 suckling pig, dressed, about 20 lbs.
2 cups cooking lacquer
1 lime (optional)
For the fruit and onions:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored
and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and
sliced into wedges
2 star fruit, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 orange, thinly sliced
2 limes, sliced
2 large sweet onions, peeled and
sliced into 1/2-inch thick rings
1. For the pig, heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add the milk, water, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pineapple, ginger, apricots, cherries, scallions, and vanilla. Cool completely. The stuffing can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
3. Brush the cavity of the pig with 1/2 cup of the cooking lacquer. Loosely fill the pig with the rice stuffing and sew the cavity shut, using needle and heavy duty thread.
4. Position the legs under the pig. The front legs will rest under the chin, and the back legs should be set forward, bent from the hip, not the knee, so they extend along the belly. Tie the legs in place with kitchen twine. Position the ears so that they cover the pig's eyes, and the twine over the ears to hold them in place. Cover the snout and tail with aluminum foil. Place a double thickness of foil around the front feet and under the loin and the back feet in the center of the pig. Stuff a ball of foil (or a block of wood) in the pig's mouth if you are planning to serve it with a lime in its mouth.
5. Heat the grill as directed. Spread a double layer of foil on the grill grate, covering the area that is not directly over the heat. Line the foil with 2 to 3 layers of ti, palm or banana leaves, and put the pig right side up on top of the leaves. Cook, covered, for 2 hours, until the surface has begun to brown. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay between 200 F and 250 F. Replenish the charcoal or wood after the first hour.
6. Snip the twine and remove. Coat the outside of the pig with half of the remaining lacquer, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of one of the thighs registers 160 F, making sure that the thermometer is not touching bone -- about 11/2 hours longer. Brush with the remaining lacquer halfway through, keeping the temperature at 225 F.
7. For the fruit and onions, while the pig is roasting, mix the brown sugar, rum, cardamom and sesame oil in a large saucepan; heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Add the fruit and onion slices just before the pig is done, and toss to coat.
8. Line a large carving board with ti, palm or banana leaves. Remove the pig to the board and let it rest.
9. Grill the fruit and onion directly over the heat until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, brushing several times with any extra glaze.
10. Pull the thread from the belly of the pig, and replace the wooden block or foil in the mouth with the lime, if desired. Carve by cutting the pig into leg and shoulder sections and carving the meat from the bone. Cut the ribs into 2-rib sections. Serve the meat with the stuffing, grilled fruit and onions.