![]() The important thing is to begin marinading the Spanferkel 12 to 24 hours in advance. This German Recipe is more vague about the marinade, but insists that it include Oil and Salt, Pepper, Mustard, crushed Garlic and Paprika Powder. His version includes Ginger, and has a Honey Beer Glaze that you can add. Planning a big German Party? Maybe you want to host an Oktoberfest at home this year? Follow this link to this recipe adapted from Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue! (This is the guy who wrote the Barbque Bible… you can trust him). (In fact, they sell out fast! There are only 60 large heads available…) Pig’s head anyone? Want to make a Spanferkel Yourself? The large heads are smoked separately and sold, brains, cheeks and all, for people to pick off the meat. (Oh boy… want to freak out a suburban kid from California, let the guy open up the smoker of heads…). You can buy a small head (those are the ones that are attached to the Spanferkel)… or, you can buy a large head…. ![]() Yes, even the heads! In fact, the Pig’s Heads are soooo popular, that they are sold separately and whole. And it is a lot of hot and heavy work… but in the end it’s worth it. The three guys on the shift at German Fest will oversee the roasting of 55 pigs over the three days of the Festival. and then carry them to the kitchen for chopping up once they are roasted though. It’s at least a 2 man job to load the pigs on the spit. The outside must be crisp, and the inside cooked through, yet it’s essential that the meat remain moist. (These guys get up EARLY to make sure that the first people through the gates get their Spanferkel!).Įven heat over hot coals is the key to a perfect Spanferkel. The pigs turn and roast… getting all crispy and yummy for just over 5 1/2 hours. Mark and his guys put the pig on the rotisserie, then lay it over the coals. These aren’t giant hogs, but rather young pigs, around 4- 6 weeks old, that weigh 25- 35 pounds. The cleaned and seasoned pigs arrive at the festival grounds (all wrapped up neatly in plastic). Mark, who has been making Spanferkel for German Fest and Oktoberfests for 16 years told us how it works. But that doesn’t really explain how the magic happens. ![]() It’s served at Festivals like Oktoberfest, where a large number of people show up hungry! (It’s really not just a dinner for the average Tuesday). The most basic definition of Spanferkel is a suckling pig. We had to stop and talk to the guys at the pit… and then we had to try it! I have to say, Spanferkel is pretty delicious…. Slowly spinning and roasting… Now, I’ve been to big Bar B Ques… and I’ve been to Luaus, so the ‘whole pig’ thing was not new… But this was a serious LOT of pigs. Right in the middle of everything was an area with pigs roasting on spits. ![]() My introduction to Spanferkel came the first time I walked through the German Fest Grounds in Milwaukee. I’d heard there would be Spanferkel at Germanfest, and I was a bit confused… What is Spanferkel? A “Ferkel” is a little Pig” (it’s also what my mom would call me when I came home particularly muddy) and “Span” is wood chips. ![]()
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