If I seem a little distracted this afternoon, as I sit on stage waiting for my turn to sing some Spanische Liebeslieder, it's because I'll thinking about my pig, which is currently in large plastic box in the dining hall's walk-in refrigerator, awaiting marination. For last year's International Dinner, when I requested a 50 lb. pig from a small slaughterhouse in Sharon, VT, they gave me a 30 pounder. This year, I again requested a 50 lb. pig and was given a beast that weighs in at 70 pounds. It barely fit in the back seat of my (rented) Ford Focus. Perhaps during one of the tenor's songs, I'll figure out where, how, and with whose assistance will I be prepping the pig tonight. I hope to avoid the scene that took place last year, two nights before the wedding: the groom, alone in dimly lit garage, soaked in sweat, trichinosis juice and garlicky marinade, spending two hours trying to wrestle a slippery, wet, half frozen, 60 pound pig on and off of a stainless steel table. (It was totally worth it though.) Here's a video from La Caja China that shows the process step-by-step. I've watched it so many times that I can't think of the pig without hearing that cowbell soundtrack.
Be warned that I might post more pig stuff in the next day or so.
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