In ground pit cooked BBQ pig

SteveDixon (SteveDixo1) Writes:

"Can somebody help me? When I was a young boy in the middle1950s I helped my father cook BBQ for large events in our county. I can only remember some of the details. I think we dug a pit in the ground a little longer and wider than the whole hog and it was about 3 or 4 feet deep if my memory is correct. I was only about 7 or 8 at the time. I know we built a fire in the bottom of this pit for many hours and kept it going until my Dad was satisfied that there were enough coals in the bottom of the pit. With a long handle metal rake he spread the coals over the enitre bottom of the pit. We then put in dry sand until they were covered a few inches. They laid wet burlap bags down on this and put the pig in. I think it was rib side down but I'm not real sure. Then they covered the hog with more wet burlap bags. Then more dry sand went in until it was covered to a depth of a little more than the bottom coals were. At least that is what I remember. Then a fire was built on top from end to end and if I remember correctly we kept it going from some time late one afternoon until about noon the next day. I do not know how much the hogs weighed. They were not small sholts but full grown hogs or at least they looked so to an 8 year old. Can anybody help me with more specific details as my son who is entering his senior year of college this fall is planning on having a "pig pull" for a lot of his friends before they go back to school this fall. From a few "History of Southern BBQ" web sites I found that this was the first method of BBQing pigs in the south but none tell me any details. The other thing is I have no idea how long to cook a hog this size, this way. I hope someone can let me know as he is dead set on doing this."