Pappardelle with duck ragu

On Baubles, Bubbles, and Beautiful things:

Whole-wheat shells with asparagus, feta, and mint

Sugar cookies with almond frosting

(Click each picture to make it larger…….This is with my new fancy camera…….funny note:  I found my camera that I lost…..ta-da)

North Carolina-Style Pig

My friends, Fuzzy and Richard, told me they were going to be cooking a whole pig for a friend’s 50th wedding anniversary. I think before Richard finished saying, “we’re going to cook a whole pig”, I jumped in and asked if I could help. I was anxiously waiting for 3 weeks for this to happen and finally we cooked that sucker up yesterday (Friday).

Richard told me to be at his house at 7:30AM because we had to run a few errands and pick up the pig from another friend’s bar. Richard and Fuzzy ordered a 75lb. pig and 5 18-20lb pork shoulders from Kapowsin Meats in Graham, WA.  From the bar we drove over to Vic’s Tavern where they had the area staged for us.  Now, Richard told me a little bit about his grill but I had no idea how awesome it would be in person. Fuzzy designed it on the back of a bar napkin about 10 years ago and it’s the only one of its kind IN THE WORLD!!!

After staring at the almighty grill and taking a few pictures Richard and Fuzzy got to work. They butterflied the pig and chopped it in half. At 9:30AM we raised the pig and shoulders on the grill that was heated up to 295-305F. We let it cook for 8 hours. All the meat was cooked skin side up then it was flipped with about 2 hours before serving. The pig was ready around 6 and Richard and I spent about an hour chopping down approximately 165lbs. of meat into smaller bite size pieces while Fuzzy soaked it in his spicy apple cider vinegar sauce.

7PM came around and everyone was ready to eat. We served over 100 people and had enough leftovers for another party that happened today. If you ever want Fuzzy to cater for you his price is $10,000 in the State of Washington……..he only does this for family and friends and you better be a good friend otherwise he isn’t cheap.

Thanks Richard and Fuzzy!

Fuzzy’s N.C. Apple Cider Vinegar Pork Sauce

5 gallons of Apple Cider Vinegar
4 cups crushed red pepper
1 cup salt

Fuzzy’s Hot Mustard Sauce

6 cups dried yellow mustard
10 ounces honey
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Go make a pig now!!!