Whole animals / meat for the spit

SIZES

Whole animals

The size of animal you’ll need will depend on the occasion, the number of people you’re feeding and the array of other food you’re serving.

If you’re feeding the local rugby team a feed of spit-roasted pork on a roll after a huge game, your pig might not go very far. But if it’s one of an embarrassment of gorgeous dishes served at a gala banquet dinner you’ll probably find you might even have left-overs... which is another issue to consider as it can be a bit disappointing when there’s nothing left for the recovery lunch the next day.

Please give us a rough idea of the number of people you're feeding and we'll suggest the right size animal.

Pigs range from suckling pigs at 10 - 14 kg through to light porker pigs at up to 35 kg. Lambs are usually between 18 - 22 kg.

Other cuts

Alternatively, we can offer other options such as a large porchetta to be cooked on a spit or rotisserie or marinated lamb shoulders or marinated beef. 

20 kg porchetta on the spit

COOKING TIMES

Cooking longer and slower yields better results and it’s wise to allow five to six hours minimum for spit cooking. It takes about 45 minutes from lighting for the coals to be ready for cooking.

So, for example, if you’re cooking a 25 kg pig and you’re planning to eat at 1.00 pm, you’ll need to have your animal cooking by 7.00-7.15 am. Which means you’ll need to light the spit at 6.15-6.30 am.

The time it takes to spit roast a whole animal varies significantly depending on the size of the animal and the environmental conditions. The bigger the animal the longer it takes and cold, windy weather also slows cooking.

As a very rough guide, a 16-20 kg pig would usually take about five hours of cooking.

PASTURE-RAISED, FREE RANGE, PIGS

Our pigs are from NSW farms. Some are breed-specific, such as Berkshires, but most are from mixed-breed herds.

They are ‘pasture-raised’ which means that all pigs are free to range on pasture for their entire lives. They are weaned much later than the pigs from farms where the animals are fully or partially shed-raised. ‘Bred free range’ pork, for example, comes from pigs that are born outside but then moved to sheds at about three weeks old.

Our farmers make the decision about when to wean based on a range of factors including environmental conditions and the health and well-being of the animals.

LAMB

We sell a range of breeds of lamb from NSW farms including Moorlands bio-dynamic Texels and New Horizon Dorpers.

GOAT

We source our Boer goats from The Gourmet Goat Lady – chevon (weaned kids) and capretto (milk-fed). Capretto (kid) goats are seasonal.

Hire a spit bbq

With premium, ethically-raised meat
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Hire a spit bbq

With premium, ethically-raised meat
Get a quote

Whole animals / meat for the spit

Whole animals
The size of animal depends on the occasion, the number of people you’re feeding and the array of other food you’re serving. A rough rule of thumb is around 500 gm per person. For example, if you’re feeding the local rugby team after a huge game, your pig might not go very far. But if it’s one part of a gala banquet you might even have left-overs... It can be a bit disappointing when there’s nothing left for the recovery lunch the next day.

Pigs range from suckling pigs at 10 - 14 kg through to light porker pigs at up to 35 kg.

Lambs are usually between 18 - 22 kg.

We'll make sure you get the right size animal.

Other cuts
Other options include a large porchetta (rolled pork loin and belly), lamb shoulders or marinated beef.

Cooking times
Cooking longer and slower yields better results. Your coals should be at the right heat for cooking about 45 minutes after lighting and, as a rough guide, a 16-20 kg pig would usually take about five hours to cook. Of course, cooking times vary significantly depending on the size of the animal and the conditions, so the bigger the animal the longer it takes and cold, windy weather slows down the cooking.

About pasture-raised pigs
Our pigs are all ‘pasture-raised’ which means they're bred and raised outside on local farms, free to express instinctive behaviours, and the herds and their mobile shelters are regularly moved to fresh ground. This is good for the pigs and good for the landscape. Most herds are comprised of heritage-breed, black-haired pigs that thrive outside, growing slowly, producing sensational meat. They're weaned later and have much more diverse diets than shed-raised pigs and the decision to wean is based on a range of factors including environmental conditions and the health and well-being of the animals.

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