Pit Roasted Pig

I love pigs. I love pork. I can't decide whether to eat them or keep them for a pet. A friend has long wanted to have a fire pit roasted hog party. I was looking at mock duck, which is a site filled with old crazy recipes of days gone by and came upon this:

Hawaiian Pit-Cooked Pig

1 leg (10 to 15 pounds) fresh pork

Marinade:

1 can (6 oz.) frozen lime juice or frozen lemonade

1/2 gallon dry sherry

3 tablespoons seasoning salt

1 or 2 small fingers of ginger root, grated or crushed

1 cup frozen or canned papaya, or about half of a fresh papaya, mashed

1/3 cup soy

1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

Have the butcher bone and trim off all excess fat, then roll the meat. Mix together all marinade ingredients. Marinate meat overnight.

Start your fire in a rock-lined pit about 8 a.m., and by noon the pit should be full of glowing embers. Remove pork leg from marinade, wrap in ti leaves (available from florists), then in clean sheeting, then in burlap. Tie with wire, which serves as a handle. Saturate the burlap and sheeting with the remaining marinade, then bury the meat in coals. Cover the coals with sand and dirt until you no longer see any smoke.

About 8 p.m., remove the meat and serve. Makes 16 to 24 servings, depending on appetites.

If you should decide to make this in your rock-lined pit, please, please, please invite me for dinner (I'll make the Mai Tai's).

My vegetarian friends might not show up, but eh you can't please everyone all the time.