Girl Hunter Part 30

1 to 2 cups white vinegar

1 to 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 to 6 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

To Smoke: 6 to 10 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut in half

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

20 to 30 bacon strips

3 to 4 cups mola.s.ses

For the Marinade: 1. Combine all the marinade ingredients with the hog in a large cooler or new garbage bag and let sit for 1 to 8 days, turning the hog every 12 hours so it evenly marinates. A hog that is 80 pounds on the hoof, 45 pounds cleaned, will fit well in a standard cooler. The acid cleans it. Cleanliness is important.

To Smoke: 1. When ready to smoke, bring your wood coals of choice to no more than 250F in a large smoker. Let the coals become nice and uniform so that you have an even, radiant heat.

2. Smoke the hog for 6 to 12 hours, depending on its size. Once the densest part of the hog reaches 140F, add a pan of apples to the bottom of the smoker, sprinkle with the cinnamon, and let them steam up under the hog.

3. At this point, also blanket the back of the hog with bacon and pour on 3 to 4 cups of mola.s.ses. Be generous with it and pour most of it in the area where it will drip down into the pan of apples.

4. The hog is ready to serve when the densest, deepest part is 160F; under the front shoulder is usually the coolest part to test. Serve immediately tableside as your piece de resistance.

Sweet Porchetta Sausage

Makes 5 pounds This is most like a traditional Italian-flavored sausage, thanks to the fennel seeds and hint of sweetness. It would go well with roasted red peppers and onions, or sliced thinly, with some coa.r.s.e mustard. Like all sausage, it should be cooked at a low temperature for a long period of time so that the casing doesn't burst and it is cooked through.

4 pounds hog b.u.t.t, diced into 1-inch pieces

1 pound hog or domestic pork belly fat, diced into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pink curing salt #1 (see Note, page 164)

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

3/4 cup ice water

1/4 cup chilled red wine vinegar

Natural pork casings

1. In a nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients except the water, vinegar, and casings, and toss to distribute the seasonings. Chill until ready to grind.

2. Grind the mixture through a small die into a mixing bowl set on ice.

3. Add the water and vinegar to the meat mixture and mix with the paddle attachment or your hands until the liquids are incorporated and the mixture has developed a uniform, sticky appearance, about 1 minute on medium speed in a mixer, longer with your hands.

4. Put the sausage casings in a bowl of warm water for at least 30 minutes, then drain out the water. Carefully run water through each casing and look for water that comes out of any holes. Cut out any portions of the casings that have holes.

5. Saute a small portion of the sausage, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

6. With a sausage stuffer, stuff the mixture into the pork casings, p.r.i.c.king with a sterilized needle as you go, to prevent air bubbles. Twist off the casing into links 6 to 8 inches long and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

7. To cook, heat some oil in a skillet and sear over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, turning often. The internal temperature should be 160F.

Hog Croquettes

Serves 6 to 8 (about 14 patties) This recipe is a great way to use extra sc.r.a.ps of meat left over from a braise or a soup. It is also an excellent way to make the most of the tougher cuts of meat, by breaking them down over a long cooking time and then adding flavorings of your choosing. You can experiment with your favorite herbs, add chopped jalapeno or pickle, or even add a little cayenne for an extra kick.

Croquette Meat: 5 pounds hog meat (shoulder or haunch is best)

6 to 10 cups hog stock (or enough to cover three-quarters of the meat) (page 213)

3 bay leaves

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

3/4 cup minced shallots