A whole hog roast is one of the simplest kinds of barbecue: a slow fire, a pig and a thermometer. You roast the whole hog low, at 225–275°F, until the shoulders are tender enough to pull and every part of the hog has reached at least 160°F (71°C). This recipe is written for a whole wild boar of about 40 lb dressed weight, enough for around 40 guests. That's our rule of 1 lb of dressed weight per guest, explained in our guide to what a whole hog costs.

Why a wild hog cooks differently from a farm pig

Most whole hog bbq instructions assume a fat, farm-raised pig of 100 lb or more. A wild boar is a different animal on the pit:

It's lean. Feral hogs carry very little fat on the loin and hams, so there is less fat to baste the meat from inside. That's why this recipe uses an injection with butter, plus bacon or lard over the leanest parts.
It's smaller and cooks faster. A 40 lb hog has thinner shoulders and hams than a market hog, so it cooks in hours, not overnight. The loin overcooks first; the bacon protects it.
The skin won't crackle the same way. The skin on a wild boar is thick, with little fat under it. It browns and holds the hog together, but expect leathery skin rather than sheets of cracklings. If you want crisp pieces, cut a few strips after the cook and crisp them over hot coals.

What you need

A pit. A cinder-block pit three blocks high, with a heavy grate of expanded metal or rebar, works well for a 40 lb hog. A roaster box or a large offset smoker also works. Check that the hog fits before the day.
Two thermometers: one at grate level for the pit and a fast probe thermometer for the meat. Leave-in probes in a shoulder and a ham save a lot of lifting.
Heat-proof gloves, a flat shovel, a burn barrel or charcoal chimneys, and a big cooler with ice for thawing.
A helper for the flip.

Timing: plan by temperature, not by the clock

Published whole hog timetables vary a lot. Amazing Ribs lists about 3.5 hours for a 40 lb hog at 250°F. Food Fire Friends allows about 7 minutes per pound, with at least 4 hours for any whole pig. The old rule of one hour per 4–5 lb (8–10 hours for our hog) is too long for a small, lean wild boar at these temperatures. Use it only if you are cooking at 225°F or in cold, windy weather.

For a 40 lb wild boar, plan on 5–7 hours at 225–275°F and start two hours earlier than you think you need. An early hog holds for an hour or more wrapped in foil and towels in a dry cooler. A late hog keeps everyone waiting.

Fire management

Put the heat under the thick parts. The shoulders and hams need most of the coals; the loin and belly in the middle need very little, or they dry out before the ends are done. Light new charcoal in a separate barrel or chimney and add it already burning, so the pit stays steady and the smoke stays clean. Wind and cold air pull heat from a block pit, so cover gaps and keep a lid on.

Food safety for a whole hog

Keep it cold until it cooks. While it thaws, the hog should stay at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use plenty of ice and a probe to check.
Cook every part to at least 160°F (71°C). This applies to all wild boar. Feral hogs can carry parasites such as Trichinella and Toxoplasma, so check several places, not just one shoulder.
Keep hot food hot. Keep serving pans at 140°F (60°C) or above, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour on a hot day, following USDA guidance.
Wear gloves when handling the raw hog and keep raw-meat tools away from the serving table.

Serving

Carolina-style is the easy route: chopped shoulder and ham meat with vinegar sauce, white bread or buns, slaw and pickles. A tomato-based barbecue sauce on the side keeps everyone happy. Slice the loin and serve it separately; it's the most tender part of the hog.

For a smaller crowd, two or three shoulder roasts smoked the same way give you the same pulled meat in a backyard smoker. Leftover pulled boar makes a good base for chili or, with tomato and red wine, a quick wild boar ragù.

Sources

Amazing Ribs, How to smoke a whole hog: a tutorial, cooking times by hog weight.
Food Fire Friends, Smoking times and temperatures chart, whole hog: 225–250°F, about 7 min/lb, 4–18 hours.
USDA FSIS, "Danger Zone" (40°F–140°F), cold storage, hot holding and the 2-hour rule.

Whole hog roast: how to roast a whole wild boar for 40 people

ServesAbout 40 servings
Prep120 min
Cook6 h
CutWhole Wild Boar (Skin-On Roaster)

Ingredients

1 whole wild boar, about 40 lb (18 kg) dressed, skin on, fully thawed
Injection: 6 cups (1.4 L) apple juice
Injection: 2 cups (475 ml) water
Injection: 2.5 oz (70 g) kosher salt
Injection: 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
Injection: 1/4 cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce
Injection: 1 cup (225 g) butter or lard, melted
Rub: 1/2 cup (55 g) paprika
Rub: 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
Rub: 1/4 cup (35 g) kosher salt
Rub: 3 tbsp coarse black pepper
Rub: 2 tbsp garlic powder
Rub: 1 tbsp cayenne
1 lb (450 g) sliced bacon or 1 cup (200 g) lard, for the loin and hams
Mop and finishing sauce: 4 cups (950 ml) cider vinegar
Mop and finishing sauce: 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
Mop and finishing sauce: 2 tbsp brown sugar
Mop and finishing sauce: 1 tbsp kosher salt
Mop and finishing sauce: 1 tbsp black pepper
About 60 lb (27 kg) charcoal, plus a few hardwood chunks (oak, hickory or pecan)

Method

Thaw the hog for 2–4 days in a large cooler packed with ice, or in a cold room at 40°F (4°C) or below. Drain the meltwater and add ice twice a day. The thickest part of the hams should be thawed before you start.
Lay the hog skin side down on a clean table. From inside the cavity, cut along both sides of the spine through the rib bones (not through the skin) so the hog lies flat. Trim off any loose fat or bloodshot meat and pat dry.
Whisk the injection ingredients together while the butter is still warm. Inject the shoulders and hams every 1–2 inches, going deep, and give the loin a lighter dose. Keep the hog iced if you inject more than 2 hours before cooking.
Mix the rub and season the meat side heavily, working it into the shoulders and hams. Lay bacon over the loin and hams, or smear them with lard. Mix the mop sauce and set it aside.
Light about half the charcoal in a burn barrel or several chimneys. When it is covered in white ash, shovel it under where the shoulders and hams will sit, with only a thin layer under the middle. Add a couple of hardwood chunks. Aim for 225–250°F (107–121°C) at grate level.
Put the hog on the grate meat side down, skin up. Cover the pit with a lid, sheet metal or foil. Every 30–45 minutes, shovel in fresh hot coals, mostly under the shoulders and hams, to hold 225–275°F (107–135°C).
After about 4 hours, check the temperature in both shoulders and both hams. When the hams read about 150°F (66°C), flip the hog skin side down. Sandwich it between two grates or use two people in heat-proof gloves.
Mop the exposed meat with the vinegar sauce every 30 minutes. Keep cooking until the shoulders reach 195–203°F (91–95°C) and the thickest part of each ham reads at least 160°F (71°C). For a 40 lb wild boar this usually takes 5–7 hours in total.
Check the loin, both shoulders and both hams. Every reading must be at least 160°F (71°C). If one end is behind, push coals under it and keep going.
Let the fire die down and rest the hog on the pit, covered, for 30–45 minutes.
Wearing heat-proof gloves, pull the shoulder and ham meat into a hotel pan. Remove bones, skin and gristle. Chop or shred the meat, toss it with a cup or two of the sauce, and slice the loin separately.
Serve hot, keeping the meat at 140°F (60°C) or above. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it's above 90°F outside).

Thawing (2–4 days) is not included in the times. Cook to temperature, not the clock, and start early: a finished hog holds well wrapped in a cooler, and a late one holds up the whole party.

Cook wild boar to an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C).

More: all wild boar recipes · guides