Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso
will take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some
noteworthy soiree or other?

I never have, though I saw a few while working as a musician at events
where we came in through the back door and were admonished
never-ever-ever to speak to the clientele. The piglet always seemed
pretty creepy layed out like that without any abstraction to cloak it
as an animal to be rent assunder by the savages. Kind of like a holiday
Turkey if you not only left the head, neck and feet on, but configured
them to look "entertaining" with a plum in the beak or something.

Or, like a whole fish laying on a plate--something that's never spooked
me, as I ponder it. But it sure spooks some people. We've certainly
gotten whole fried smelt at Japanese restaurants before. But at a
Syrian restaurant we go a big plate with probably 30 smelt and our more
delicate friends were appalled. They not only wouldn't eat them, they
felt uncomfortable when we picked them up and bit of their little
heads. We thought it amusing, but then realized it really did creep
them. I whittled off some heads with a knife, and the tail fins too,
put them on a small plate and said, "How about this, better?" My buddy
said he wasn't sure if it would have been acceptable initially, but it
had "phantom head and tail" at this point. Interesting.

There's a nearby Egyptian place that does stuffed pigeon, which I've
wanted to try since reading/viewing some things about Cairo cuisine.
But they also do a stuffed duck for four. I've so far only managed to
get two together on that deal. But my assumption is that make no
attempt to make it look like an animal on a plate, splayed for visual
amusement. Like maybe configured to look as if it's about to take to
the wing or something.

On Jun 29, 10:44*am, gtr > wrote:
> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso
> will take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some
> noteworthy soiree or other?
>
> I never have, though I saw a few while working as a musician at events
> where we came in through the back door and were admonished
> never-ever-ever to speak to the clientele. The piglet always seemed
> pretty creepy layed out like that without any abstraction to cloak it
> as an animal to be rent assunder by the savages. Kind of like a holiday
> Turkey if you not only left the head, neck and feet on, but configured
> them to look "entertaining" with a plum in the beak or something.
>
> Or, like a whole fish laying on a plate--something that's never spooked
> me, as I ponder it. *But it sure spooks some people. We've certainly
> gotten whole fried smelt at Japanese restaurants before. *But at a
> Syrian restaurant we go a big plate with probably 30 smelt and our more
> delicate friends were appalled. They not only wouldn't eat them, they
> felt uncomfortable when we picked them up and bit of their little
> heads. We thought it amusing, but then realized it really did creep
> them. *I whittled off some heads with a knife, and the tail fins too,
> put them on a small plate and said, "How about this, better?" *My buddy
> said he wasn't sure if it would have been acceptable initially, but it
> had "phantom head and tail" at this point. Interesting.
>
> There's a nearby Egyptian place that does stuffed pigeon, which I've
> wanted to try since reading/viewing some things about Cairo cuisine.
> But they also do a stuffed duck for four. *I've so far only managed to
> get two together on that deal. *But my assumption is that make no
> attempt to make it look like an animal on a plate, splayed for visual
> amusement. *Like maybe configured to look as if it's about to take to
> the wing or something.

Are you talking presentation? Because there are a lot of good ol'
boys with whole pigs in a home-built smoker around here during the
summer.

N.

"gtr" > wrote in message news:2012062908442612622-xxx@yyyzzz...
> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso will
> take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some noteworthy
> soiree or other?

Yes, quite a few times...those pigs do not die in vain! One of the yummiest
things on the planet.
One outfit around here does it with wild rice stuffing.

On 2012-06-29 18:00:27 +0000, news said:

> "gtr" > wrote in message news:2012062908442612622-xxx@yyyzzz...
>> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso
>> will take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some
>> noteworthy soiree or other?
>
> Yes, quite a few times...those pigs do not die in vain! One of the
> yummiest things on the planet.
> One outfit around here does it with wild rice stuffing.

I thought that might be the case. I loves me some pork, and it
certainly *sounds* like it would be tender!

On 2012-06-29 16:34:01 +0000, Nancy2 said:

> Are you talking presentation? Because there are a lot of good ol'
> boys with whole pigs in a home-built smoker around here during the
> summer.

Do they load it up on the table for all the take a knife to?

On 6/29/12 11:44 AM, gtr wrote:
> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso will
> take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some noteworthy
> soiree or other?

There are restaurants which serve it all the time. Two of note are Veni
Vidi Vici in Atlanta and Mio in Washington DC.

It's one of my favorite foods on Earth.

-- Larry

On 29/06/2012 12:34 PM, Nancy2 wrote:

>> There's a nearby Egyptian place that does stuffed pigeon, which I've
>> wanted to try since reading/viewing some things about Cairo cuisine.
>> But they also do a stuffed duck for four. I've so far only managed to
>> get two together on that deal. But my assumption is that make no
>> attempt to make it look like an animal on a plate, splayed for visual
>> amusement. Like maybe configured to look as if it's about to take to
>> the wing or something.
>
> Are you talking presentation? Because there are a lot of good ol'
> boys with whole pigs in a home-built smoker around here during the
> summer.
>



My oldest brother used to work at a truck dealership that organized a
pig roast every fall. We went a couple times. There was a modest
admission charge. They had old home heating oil tanks that top half of
the front had been cut out of and there were brackets in the sides for
the spit. They would get a couple 100 pound pigs and a coupe of the
die-hards would show up the night before to get them started up. It took
close to 20 hours to cook them. The meat was wonderful... tasty and
succulent.

gtr wrote:
> Nancy2 said:
>
>> Are you talking presentation? Because there are a lot of good ol'
>> boys with whole pigs in a home-built smoker around here during the
>> summer.
>
> Do they load it up on the table for all the take a knife to?

In plenty of North Carolina places there is an entire pig behind the
counter at buffet places. They'll cut you pieces on the spot.
Wonderful.

Near Niagara Falls my brother does an annual pig roast where he cooks it
on a spit in a giant rotisserie. We see the entire pig on the counter
and in the early years we did cut servings for ourselves. He now has it
catered. They'll cut you pieces on the spot.

I've never had whole suckling pig. The suckling pig I've had was at Dim
Sum places in small pieces. Most of the pig could be seen if you saw
that cart just as it came out of the kitchen.

On 2012-06-29 19:01:30 +0000, pltrgyst said:

> On 6/29/12 11:44 AM, gtr wrote:
>> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso will
>> take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some noteworthy
>> soiree or other?
>
> There are restaurants which serve it all the time. Two of note are Veni
> Vidi Vici in Atlanta and Mio in Washington DC.
>
> It's one of my favorite foods on Earth.

Surely you order it ahead of time for a party of--what? Eight?

On 6/29/12 5:13 PM, gtr wrote:

>> There are restaurants which serve it all the time. Two of note are
>> Veni Vidi Vici in Atlanta and Mio in Washington DC.
>>
>> It's one of my favorite foods on Earth.
>
> Surely you order it ahead of time for a party of--what? Eight?

Veni Vidi Vici serves it portioned, every night, until they run out
(usually by 8 pm).

Mio serves it on Wednesday and Friday of every week, also portioned.

-- Larry

On 6/29/12 8:00 PM, pltrgyst wrote:
> On 6/29/12 5:13 PM, gtr wrote:
>
>> Surely you order it ahead of time for a party of--what? Eight?

I didn't mean to imply that there aren't restaurants that allow you to
pre-order a whole suckling pig -- there are. In my experience, they
don't care how many people are dining on it, and they charge around $200
for the pig.

-- Larry

"gtr" > wrote in message news:2012062908442612622-xxx@yyyzzz...
> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso will
> take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some noteworthy
> soiree or other?
>
> I never have, though I saw a few while working as a musician at events
> where we came in through the back door and were admonished never-ever-ever
> to speak to the clientele. The piglet always seemed pretty creepy layed
> out like that without any abstraction to cloak it as an animal to be rent
> assunder by the savages. Kind of like a holiday Turkey if you not only
> left the head, neck and feet on, but configured them to look
> "entertaining" with a plum in the beak or something.
>
(snippage)

I haven't personally eaten suckling pig. But I do remember when we lived in
Bangkok my parents attended the Marine Corps Ball. They "won" the
centerpiece, which was a whole roasted suckling pig. The "decoration" was
battery operated electric light bulbs where the eyes should be. They came
home from the ball (most assuredly drunk) and left the pig on the kitchen
table. At the time, they employed a live-in cook and a maid; they had
quarters with a kitchen & bath behind the house. When they came in the next
morning one of the women saw the pig on the table and started screaming. LOL
No one actually ate the pig. IIRC, my father cut it up and fed the meat to
our dog.

Jill

On 2012-06-30 02:49:37 +0000, jmcquown said:

> "gtr" > wrote in message news:2012062908442612622-xxx@yyyzzz...
>> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso
>> will take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some
>> noteworthy soiree or other?
>>
>> I never have, though I saw a few while working as a musician at events
>> where we came in through the back door and were admonished
>> never-ever-ever to speak to the clientele. The piglet always seemed
>> pretty creepy layed out like that without any abstraction to cloak it
>> as an animal to be rent assunder by the savages. Kind of like a holiday
>> Turkey if you not only left the head, neck and feet on, but configured
>> them to look "entertaining" with a plum in the beak or something.
>>
> (snippage)
>
> I haven't personally eaten suckling pig. But I do remember when we
> lived in Bangkok my parents attended the Marine Corps Ball. They "won"
> the centerpiece, which was a whole roasted suckling pig. The
> "decoration" was battery operated electric light bulbs where the eyes
> should be. They came home from the ball (most assuredly drunk) and
> left the pig on the kitchen table. At the time, they employed a
> live-in cook and a maid; they had quarters with a kitchen & bath behind
> the house. When they came in the next morning one of the women saw the
> pig on the table and started screaming. LOL No one actually ate the
> pig. IIRC, my father cut it up and fed the meat to our dog.

Happy dog!

"gtr" wrote :


> Not to offend the political vegetarians (though I doubt the proviso
> will take), but has any one eaten suckling pig? Perhaps at some
> noteworthy soiree or other?

Yes, once a year we do Spanferkel.
It's tasty, but it takes a day to grill it.
That reminds me, I'll have to order it for August.

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner