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La Caja China

Before you consider investing in La Caja China, there are a couple of questions that you need to ask yourself. The first is, how serious are you about cooking pork? The second is, how much meat do you want to cook at one time?

La Caja China is - quite literally - a large box that is used for roasting a pig in Chinese fashion, though it is hugely popular in Florida's Cuban community and anywhere else that people want to roast whole pigs. The medium sized model costs almost $300 and can hold up to a 70-lb pig (the large can handle a 100-lb swine). If you don't want to go the whole hog, it can also be used to roast 16-18 whole chickens, 4-6 turkeys, 8-10 pork ribs slabs, 8-10 pork shoulders or any other type of meat, all at the same time.

The way that it works is that a dressed pig is laid inside the box. The box is shut and covered with charcoal. After a few hours inside the aluminum-lined Caja China, the meat of the pig is cooked. At that point, the pig is flipped over - getting the skin side nearer to the indirect heat source - and the skin crisps up to be a dark golden color. The whole process takes a few hours, but connoisseurs say that the juicy meat and crispy skin is worth every minute of waiting time, although you may want to run errands or something while the pig cooks.

As for getting a whole pig, you're on your own.

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Filed Under: Food Gadgets, Ingredients, Methods
Tags: box, caja china, CajaChina, chinese pork, chinese roast, crisp pork, gadget, Gadgets, meat, outdoor, pig, pork, poultry, roast, roast pork, roasting, tool, whole pig

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

Zeke

8-21-2006 @12:08PM Zeke said... In Louisiana we call that a "Cajun Microwave".
Reply

MJ

8-21-2006 @1:12PM MJ said... LOL #1 would like one of thoses myself roasted a pork roast yesterday. Hated to turn on the oven. It was worth every crispy juicy minute................
Reply

jimmy

8-21-2006 @2:33PM jimmy said... I was at a friends BBQ a couple of weeks ago, and this thing is the shiznit! Way easier than a pig on a spit.

Expensive, maybe, but on the other hand, you could make one for way cheaper. Nothing special about the construction and you can use oil drip pans for most of the metal. A project for out friends at Make?
Reply

fumbducker

8-21-2006 @2:43PM fumbducker said... i have been lusting after one of these for a year since i saw it on the food net.. im still mastering my smoker though.
Reply

Basilhays

9-12-2006 @7:26PM Basilhays said... I had my Caja China for over a year before I finally got around to deciding to throw a party big enough to justify the pig. It was very intimidating all the way up to to the time it was done. I smoked six briskets as back-up and had the pizza delivery phone number handy. I had some of the biggest raves of anything I have ever cooked for any group in my backyard. I started with a 70 pounder, I would suggest starting with one a bit smaller the first time.
Reply

1bigrhino

12-02-2006 @4:57AM 1bigrhino said... I love my bow. I have done about 20 pigs and it is great. I want to do turkeys for Thanksgiving. I think I can do six or so. Has anybody tried Turkey?
Reply

6 Comments / 1 Pages

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