Is cleaning and roasting a pig in Illinois illegal?

Question

We're cleaning a pig and then we're going to roast it, but we're not completely sure it's legal... Is it, in Illinois?

(I live just north of Chicago).

Answer 1

The only problem comes in with food and drug people. They want to make sure the pig has been properly prepared. If you bought the pig from a butcher shop and were just roasting it, there would be not be as much of a problem.

The preparation for butchering is where they worry about sanitary conditions. Roasting is fine and not illegal. Raising the meat for your own family consumption is not illegal. Charging someone for the food or opening it up to the public is where problems start. Check with the health board. I live about an hour from your area. The police departments have pig roasts as well as many other organizations. Around here, some guys go around cooking the meat for people but I am not sure how they deal with sanitation/ temperature/ etc.

Golf outings have these all the time. Check with the health department and they will have plenty of questions to ask you and may want to inspect the meat when done etc. I wish you luck and have fun.

Answer 2

I've been to pig roasts out near Dekalb (about an hour west of you).  Not sure if they cleaned the pig themselves, but they roasted it with no legal issues.