It always grossed me out when I see a whole roasted pig sprawled out for eating especially when its all decorated up in some silly way. Mainly because I'm a vegetarian but also I wonder how is the pig killed when its cooked like that? Is it roasted alive? I mean how cruel if that's true. Does anyone know for a fact if they are cooked while still alive?
This isn't the middle ages when you'd get away with cruelty of any sort. You buy the frozen 'whole' pig [which has already been killed [in humane way]. This below has some great information [in pictures] how the pigs are killed. Log In After the pig is dead there are several ways to roast it [whole]. But since you mention that you are a vegetarian I don't think that would be of much interest to you.
I used to be a bit squeamish about seeing a whole roasted pig as well when I was younger. It's the whole, I don't want what I'm eating looking back at me thing. Even leaving the fish heads still on the fish would bother me too. I'm less offended by it these days though because it actually means the whole pig is being utilized and less is going to waste, which is more considerate. Also, the simplicity of cooking it in such a manner has a lot of benefits and charm as well. It's essentially basting in its own fats, and all the juices are sealed in as well. The meat becomes so tender as a result, it's difficult to get it that good in a standard oven all cut up into smaller parts. Personally though, I would not be able to clean out and prepare a dead pig, let along kill it, so that part of it all is still off the table for me. I might be OK with preparing the pig on the spit roast once it has already been killed and cleaned though. I have yet to actually do it though.
