Bill Gillespie - The Smoking Bacon & Hog Cookbook: The Whole Pig & Nothing But the Pig BBQ Recipes

THE

SMOKING BACON & HOG COOKBOOK

BILL GILLESPIE

PIT MASTER OF SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ, ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY

WITH TIM OKEEFE

THE WHOLE PIG& NOTHING BUT THE PIG BBQ RECIPES

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER, DIANE GILLESPIE, WHO FROM DAY ONE HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ME AND ENCOURAGED ME TO FOLLOW MY DREAMS. YOU ARE THE MOST LOVING AND CARING WOMAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN. I LOVE YOU, MOM!

When I first got involved in competition barbecue back in 2005, I never could have imagined all the things that would happen to me. Competition barbecue is unlike anything else Ive ever experienced. Sure, each event is a competition to see who the best is that day, but the barbecue community is truly a community of friendship. Along the way, Ive made several friends with whom Ive shared a lot of laughs, and for that alone, Ill always be thankful.

Since 2008, my competition team, Smokin Hoggz, has won several trophies, including the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue in 2011 and the American Royal Invitational in 2014, arguably the two most prestigious titles in competition barbecue. When I cooked at these contests, I used the same types of smokers I discuss in this cookbook. At the Jack, I cooked on an insulated cabinet-style smoker and a non-insulated bullet-style smoker. At the Royal, I cooked exclusively on an insulated cabinet smoker. Success on the competition circuit led to new opportunities, such as writing the barbecue cookbook Secrets to Smoking, and bringing a commercial barbecue sauce to marketthings I never would have imagined were possible.

When the Smokin Hoggz team competes at barbecue contests, were required to submit four entries: chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder and beef brisket. Given that two of the four categories are pork, Ive had a lot of practice cooking swine. Additionally, one of my favorite foods is bacon. The book you are reading actually came out of an idea I had to create a bacon cookbookthats why nearly a third of the recipes use bacon.

Over the years on the competition circuit, I have had lots of people ask me questions about pork. Some people wanted to learn how to cook pork, while others asked about the difference between pork butt and picnic shoulder. Eventually, I decided to combine my interest in teaching people about pork with my love for bacon, and created the book youre holding in your hands.

Secrets to Smoking focused on techniques and recipes for making award-winning barbecue. This book is a little different. Although it uses many of the same cooking techniques, the main focus is on showing the versatility of the pig by teaching people how to use different parts of the animal to create tasty dishes.

HOGS, PIGS AND SWINE

Like a lot of people, I pretty much used the terms hog, pig and swine Interchangeably. I wasnt sure whether these words really meant the same thing or were somehow different. So, I did what a lot of guys my age might do. I opened up an old, dusty dictionary to see what it had to say. In one source, pig was described as a young, domestic swine that is not yet sexually mature; however, the term can also be used more broadly to simply mean a wild or domestic hog. Although hog is a synonym for pig, it can technically mean a male pig that has had its sex organs removed (and you thought the pig ending up on the smoker was the worst thing that could ever happen to it). Swine was described as a short-legged mammal with thick, bristly skin and a long, flexible snout. Im still not sure how rigid these distinctions are, so I guess the important thing for you to understand is that I use these words interchangeably in this book. After all, I dont breed hogs; I cook em.

There are several types of hogs that animal breeders might raise. On the following pages are some descriptions of the ones most frequently found on smokers. These are all heritage breeds, which are more expensive than commodity pork found at most grocery stores. Small butcher shops might carry heritage breeds, but your best bet to locate some might be through a dedicated breeder or specialty farm in your area.

I like Hampshire, Berkshire and duroc for shoulders, butts and ribs. I particularly like Berkshire because I think it produces a richer pork flavor, and I frequently use this breed in barbecue competitions.

YORKSHIRE

Yorkshires are a rather lean and muscular breed with a smaller quantity of back fat. These large, white hogs have upward-pointing, triangular ears and short snouts. Theyre known for raising large litters and are the most popular breed in the United States.

BERKSHIRE (KUROBUTA)

This dark-colored breed is highly renowned for superior meat quality. Chances are the meat from a Berkshire hog has better color, texture and marbling than any other swine youre likely to find on a smoker. They are prized for long, slow cooks.

DUROC

The duroc is a breed of red hog that is known for its ability to grow quickly and easily, acquiring more meat in the meantime. Many mixed-breed, commercial pigs trace their ancestors to duroc hogs. Their numbers in the United States are second only to Yorkshires.

HAMPSHIRE

Some people believe the Hampshire is the oldest breed of hog in the United States. Well muscled, these hogs produce a higher ratio of lean meat than do most other breeds. They are characterized by a black complexion with a swath of white that spans the front shoulders and legs.

HEREFORD

Herefords are known for their brown-and-white color, similar to cattle. This breed originated in the United States and is popular in the Midwest. These hardy animals can grow to 700800 pounds (318363 kg).

TAMWORTH

Red hogs that originated in Britain, Tamworths sport a long, narrow body that is reputable for developing quality hams. These hogs grow slowly and spend lots of time outdoors foraging for food.

LARGE BLACK

Native to England, this is the only hog in the United States that is all black. These long animals can be found in pastures. Theyre docile animals that provide very large litters, with huge, floppy ears that partially cover their faces.

TYPES OF SMOKERS