How to Cook Caja China Style-An Introduction to La Caja Asadora Cooking

A Caja China style La Caja Asadora is every grill master's dream. How else can you roast a 70-80 lb. pig in about 4 hours and have meat that is fall-off-the-bone tender? We're going to show you how. Our goal is for you to be confident going into your first roast, not only because you know what to do, but also what to expect when cooking in your new Roasting Box. While your new La Caja China style box can be used to cook many types of meats, we are going to focus on the number one reason people own a Caja China style grill: to roast pig. A pig roast is not just a meal. It is an event. It is a gathering of friends and family. It is the scent of the juices mingling and rising from the pig roaster, and the sight of that perfectly bronzed hog being placed on the table for carving. I'm getting hungry already! So, without further ado, let's get down to business...

Once your new Caja China style La Caja Asadora pig roaster has been assembled, you will want to familiarize yourself with its components. On the inside of the Caja China style box you will find your drip pan. This is used to hold the juices that fall from the pig while roasting. In our house, we like to drizzle these drippings over the pig once it has been removed from the Roasting Box (also called a Cajun Microwave). On top of the drip pan is where your two stainless steel racks are placed. These racks are used to hold the pig in place during cooking. Two stainless steel "S" hooks come wit h your box, and they are used to hold the racks together and secure the pig. Images of how the racks are used can be found on our Caja China style Cooking Times and Instructions Page. The pig should be mounted ribs up on top of the bottom rack, and below the top rack. The Caja China pig roaster is ready to be sealed. The longer pan that comes with your La Caja China style box is the ash pan. When sealing your roaster box, the ash pan goes on first. Directly on top of the ash pan goes the charcoal grid. When the pig roasting box is sealed, you are ready to place fresh charcoal on the grid. See our complete chart outlining how much charcoal is needed for different size pigs on our Caja China style Cooking Times and Instructions Page. You will want to start with 12-15 lbs. of charcoal (depending on the size of the hog). Be sure to spread the charcoal on the grid. Once it has been lit and is graying evenly you can begin timing the roasting process. After each hour you will remove the charcoal grid and allow all the ash to fall to the ash pan. Try not to leave the Caja China pig roaster uncovered any longer than necessary to avoid losing heat. Once the ash pan has been placed back on the La Caja China style Roasting Box, you want to place the charcoal grid back on top and add 10 lbs. of fresh charcoal. You will repeat this process every hour for the first three hours. At about the three-hour mark you will want to check the pig. This is where you decide whether you want to flip the pig and crisp the skin for the last 30-45 minutes. After the 30-45 minutes, check on the pig again. If the pig is ready, congratulations! You have just successfully completed your first pig roast with a Caja China grill! And once you taste it, you will want to do it again, and again, and again!

For Caja China recipes check out our Caja China recipes pagefor some absolutely delicious ideas.