Pig pickin'

Many Southern families have a pig roast for Thanksgiving or Christmas, graduations, weddings, or summer gatherings.

[1] A pig, often around 80–120 pounds dressed weight, is split in half and spread onto a large charcoal or propane[1] grill.

The barbecue is sometimes eaten with hushpuppies (fried cornmeal, occasionally flavored with onions and/or sweet corn), coleslaw, baked beans, or sometimes Brunswick stew.

The pig pickin' is a significant part of the culture of the South; the necessary work and time needed to cook the hog makes it ideal for church gatherings ("dinner on the grounds") or family reunions, and they can be held virtually year-round thanks to the region's mild winters.

[citation needed] In 1983, Rufus Edmisten, running for Governor of North Carolina at the time, was overheard saying "I've eaten enough barbecue.

"[9] Culturally and culinarily different from traditional Deep South pig pickin' events,[citation needed] pig roasts are a common occurrence in Cuba and the Philippines, as well as the non-mainland American state of Hawaii, with roasts being done in the traditions of those places.