La Caja China, guest post by Perry P. Perkins
La Caja China [Spanish la ka’ha chee’nah] –noun – A metal-lined roasting box in a wood frame with wheels. Charcoal is fired on a removable grate, over a solid ash-pan on top of the box, and the heat emanates through the metal lid into the enclosed space below, roasting the meat, which rests in pans or on a rack. The roasting box’s claim to fame is its unique ability to roast a whole pig (up to a 100 lbs, live weight) in less than four hours. The rack system, which is held together with 4 S-Hooks, allows you to quickly and easily flip whatever you’re roasting for even cooking, and last-minute browning of a pig’s skin, keeping it crispy without overcooking.
Now, La Caja China, for all the pig-related press, is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment I've used in a lifetime of cooking and barbecue. Sure, I’ve roasted a number of pigs in the Cuban box (and they were delicious) but, as a private chef and caterer, I’ve cooked a LOT of other stuff in and on it, too. My team and I have prepared everything from holiday dinners like St. Patrick's Day corned beef and Thanksgiving turkeys; ethnic delights from Malaysian satays and Italian porchetta sandwiches, to Kalua pig and Moroccan lamb. You can grill steaks, braise chickens, smoke briskets, and roast turkeys and prime-rib that rivals any restaurant, and do it all in your own backyard! And, of course, you can roast melt-in-your-mouth whole pigs that send will send your guests into fits of gastronomical joy. Even more importantly, you can prepare these dishes for crowds that would normally require a smoke house, a four-foot deep pit dug in your yard, multiple gas grills, and several full-size ovens…and you can do it anywhere, anytime. The optional top-grills set into place over the coals and allow for nearly 1200 sq inches of grilling area over the coals for the larger models (that’s a lot of burgers) and 600 sq inches over the Model #3. So you can grill plenty of tasty appetizers while the not-always-so-patient crowd of admirers is waiting to get their pig on.
Sometimes when I’m called on to flip burgers and grill some dogs for our youth group, I just toss the ash-pan, coal grate and these grills, along with a couple of metal sawhorses into my van, and I can grill en masse on a system that weighs all of around ten pounds. and sets up in 30 seconds. Nice.
The name “La Caja China” translates from Spanish into “The chinese Box”, and there are two schools of thought, regarding the name. The first is that it is a reference to the roasting boxes that Chinese railroad workers in Cuba used to cook meals. The second is that the Cuban use of the word “China” as a slang term for something unique or inventive, was used to describe the amazing ability to cook succulent pig in such a comparatively short time. Regardless of the name-origin, the basic idea has been used for centuries.
The current designs and their capabilities, however, are the result of years of tinkering and perfecting by Cuban pig-roasting enthusiasts. In the South, these boxes are often referred to a “Cajun Microwaves.” The box has also become the toast of many food writers and celebrity chefs. In 2009, Roberto received the ultimate challenge to “throw down” with celebrity Chef Bobby Flay, cooking one of his favorite Cuban dishes, Pierna Criolla, with La Caja China.
In front of a live audience, and millions of Food Network viewers, Roberto won, hands down. Next – We will look at one of my all time favorites Luau Pork Shoulders from my cookbook, La Caja China Cooking.
Food blogger and Burnin’ Love BBQ founder, Perry P. Perkins comes from a long line of professional chefs. As a third generation hash-slinger, he focuses his love of cooking on barbeque, traditional southern fare, and fresh Northwest cuisine. Perry has written for hundreds of magazines, and his inspirational stories have been included in twelve Chicken Soup anthologies. His writing includes the novels Just Past Oysterville, and Shoalwater Voices, as well as his cookbooks: The Shoalwater Cookbook, La Caja ChinaCooking, and his latest collection of international roasting box recipes, LaCaja China World. Perry blathers on foodie topics at www.burninloveblog.com, and you can follow him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BurninLoveBBQ
If you are interested in purchasing any model of La Caja China, accessories, or have any questions, please contact Perry at perry@burninloveblog.com
With the La Caja China box is the cooking times the same for a small pig 25-30 lb. as larger pigs? All the reciepts I have seen all cook the pig 4-4.5 hours
Mark, I’ve done both the 80-90 pound pigs, and smaller 30-40 pounders, and I’ve found that the directions printed on the box for each is typically dead on.
According to those instructions, cook times are the same, it’s the amount of charcoal (and therefor heat) that differs.
For the Model #1
01-40 pound pig: Start with 14lbs, after 1st hour add 8lbs, after 2nd hour add another 8lbs, after 3rd hour add 9lbs.
41-80 pound pig is 14/9/9/10
I know that seems like an insignificant difference, but after 5 years of cooking with these boxes, I’ve found that the coal weight ratios are absolute science. Mess with them, and cook times are anyone’s guess.
Another thing to keep in mind is that these numbers cook a pig “Cuban Style” ie: slice-able. I prefer a more Southern pig-pickin’ consistency. For that, plan on cooking an additional 2 hours on the same formula.
Remember to dump (or better yet, scrape) ashes out regularly, and no peeking!
Lots more La Caja China tips in my free ebook:
http://burninlovebbq.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/la-caja-china-guidebook/
Best of luck!
-Perry
Perry P. Perkins
Author
La Caja China Cooking
La Caja China World