pig pickin

It was a cold night in mid November when a group of friends and coworkers came together at the house of Angie & Mark to pay homage to the harvest festivals of old and gathered around the fire you see below.


===please click on the pictures below to see them in a larger size===

Often symbolic, on this night the fire invited huddling due to the chill in the air. Brrrrr!

We talked for a while, eating snacks rich in heritage--or at least ones that tasted good--and talked of cultural issues like how UNC totally *ucked up against Maryland that afternoon.

Then came time for the main meal and the pig made it's first--and last--appearance before us. A sacrifice for better harvest next year, perhaps, or maybe just so that UNC can win against Duke on the 19th.

Can you say "Babe"?

This is how a Carolina Pig Pickin' usually comes packaged. You get a pig, you cut it in half, then you slow cook it all day in a cylindrical container. Often just a cut up oil barrel is used but in this case it's a cooker designed specifically for slow cooking meat.

The only time I've ever been to a pig pickin is in NC so I don't know if they do them elsewhere...

This is a blurry picture. Sorry, I didn't want to use the flash on the camera since it might have scared the pig. LOL

This blurry picture of the pig is just before we began picking the meat off of the bones.

It was a very yummy pig. Sorry, PETA!

We also had baked beans, slaw, cake, brunswick stew and some green stuff that made me nervous--as most green things other than Bell peppers and M&Ms do. I avoid green food. :-)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Sounds like a fun night!

Green food is good! That is, if it's meant to be green.

Anyway, your post amused me. Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous said…
sounds like a carnivore's dream....

I think I would have stuck with beans, slaw and green stuff - and hid out of piggy's view.. :-(

Glad you had a good time :-)

cq
Anonymous said…
Still with the pig pickin', mate? :-)

Glad you visit Oreo as well, we can't discriminate :-)

cq
Anonymous said…
that sounded yummy! i don't like most green leafy stuff either so you're not alone. :)

michele sent me today.
Anonymous said…
Ewww!

But strangely attractive. Don't tell my vegetarian friends that the pork looked YUMMY...
Anonymous said…
Sounds like a good time was had by all! Michele sent me.
Anonymous said…
Who needs green food when you've got pork!
Anonymous said…
I love open fires outside with friends. What a good idea, I should have a pig roast too.
Anonymous said…
Seems like a pretty small pig for a group of people to share. Green is good ;)
Anonymous said…
oh my Dave... my sense of smell's still missing in action post-concussion.. but there's nothing wrong with my EYES.. you just made me truely hungry for the first time in weeks!

thanks for all your encouragement helpin me heal.. and i'm honored to see i've made yer blogroll list! you ARE cool my friend, dont ever think different, and how's the Na-Noveling coming along?
Anonymous said…
I can feel the spirit of that evening through your post. Nicely written, as always.

Visiting from Michele's again.
Anonymous said…
Wow - that's quite an evening! Michele sent me:)
Anonymous said…
There's nothing in the world like a Carolina Pig Picking, but really now Utenzi, grow up and eat your green veggies!
Anonymous said…
Hey Utenzi..hubby is 100% cajun, and he knows how to roast a pig! Yum! It's even better with Rum cake for dessert. =)
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
Good food, good meat, good God, let's eat!

Utenzi - it looks delicious!

If you knew the value of giving (dana), you would not let a single meal go by without sharing it. - Buddha

Here via Michele.
Anonymous said…
Here from Michele today...
May I say, it sort of freaked me out to see this poor pig all splayed out! I am not a vegerian, but...this is a bit much for me...I admire the will it takes to cook this and watch this poor soul burn up, but...thank you very much, it's not for me. Happy you all had such a terrific time, I hope....Poor "Babe".....!
Anonymous said…
Oh, poor vegetarian me decides to come see you TODAY?? Eeeeeeeeyuch!!!!!!!!

No "other white meat" for me, thanks! I don't like food with a face. The closest I'll get is fish!

Michele sent me, unaware that she was sending me to a pig feast! ;)
utenzi said…
Sorry about that, Panthergirl. I guess only your dogs get meat. At least PETA would be happy about that, tho they don't like the idea of pets very much either.

OO of the Hills, I agree--poor Babe. I love ham but facing a dead pig does remind me a bit too much of where that ham started. At least at this pig pickin' they didn't have the head on. They often do.

Barbara, thanks! It was delicious--far more so that I thought it would be.
Anonymous said…
Utenzi, I just read your comment about my post today. I think your view is typical of males. My first thought was that she had told him she was pregnant, and he was telling her he was 1. either married, or 2. not going to assume responsibility for a baby. Of course, we could both be wrong - and I will never know what happened to her. She was powerfully sad, though.
Anonymous said…
Hey there from Michele's blog. We used to slow cook our pigs in the ground. God that was good eats...
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
utenzi said…
Judy, you're probably right. Males and females have different perceptions on verious things and women in general seem to have better insight into emotional things.

Zephra, that does sound good! I've read that they do that in Hawaii.
Anonymous said…
Yummm! I've had pig like that before. Its wonderful. As long as its not green.
Anonymous said…
In my neck of the woods, this is a pig roast. I've never been, but I have to imagine that a slow roasted pig makes for some fantastic pork.

My parents went to a roast once - full pig on the spigot with an apple in its mouth. Mom had a terrible time reconiling dinner... until she tasted it.

Here via Michele tonight.

Popular posts from this blog

Nitroflex at home

flea!

ankles: the sequel