Get piggy
Illustration By Mark Stivers
It’s not every day I get invited to a pig roast, which is probably for the best; I shouldn’t be eating crispy, fatty, golden skin or gnawing on a pig’s crunchy, browned ear all the time, for the sake of my cholesterol. A few weeks ago, though, I did get such an invitation, and for an occasional treat it was downright awesome. I was most intrigued by La Caja China (www.lacajachina.com): a sturdy wooden box with layers of hot coals above and below the splayed-out whole porker (it accommodates a pig up to 70 pounds). The method mimics pit roasting without needing to dig a giant hole in your backyard or tend a fussy fire. It resulted in moist, softly shredding meat and some seriously well-toasted skin. If you don’t get a lot of pig roast invites, either, but want to host your own, you might want to look into it.
