Cajun Microwave

The Cajun microwave — despite the name, nothing to do with microwaves — is a large wooden or metal box (approximately 90cm × 60cm × 60cm) with a charcoal tray on top. The meat sits inside the box on a rack; the charcoal burns on the lid above it. The heat radiates downward, and the box's insulated walls trap it, creating an oven that slow-roasts a whole pig, a turkey, a brisket, or a lamb from above. The design is a Cajun adaptation of the Cuban *La Caja China* (the Chinese box) — a roasting box that Cuban immigrants brought to the Americas and that was adopted and modified by Cajun outdoor cooks in the second half of the 20th century. The name "Cajun microwave" is ironic humour — the device is anything but fast, requiring 4-8 hours for a whole pig.

A box-shaped outdoor roaster where heat comes from above (charcoal on the lid) and the meat sits below, surrounded by insulated walls. The meat roasts slowly in its own juices — the drippings fall downward (away from the heat source), collect in the bottom of the box, and the closed environment creates a combination of roasting and steaming that produces extraordinarily moist, evenly cooked results. A whole pig emerges from a Cajun microwave with crackling skin on top (closest to the heat) and fall-apart tender meat throughout.

A whole pig from a Cajun microwave is a party centrepiece — the box is opened in front of the guests, the pig is revealed, and the meat is pulled and served communally. Accompaniments: potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, French bread, hot sauce, Creole mustard. Cold beer by the case. This is outdoor social cooking in the same tradition as the boucherie (LA1-10), the crawfish boil (LA1-07), and the Southern pig roast.