My father-in-law loves cooking gadgets. On one of our visits he showed me a brochure for a new grill he thought sounded cool. I agreed and made some comment about how cool of an idea I thought it was.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when they packed up and moved out west and he found that old brochure. He obviously remembered me liking it and the next thing I know, I return home to several boxes that when assembled would become a magic box known as a La Caja China.

When life gives you a magic box, you roast a pig in it!

Cooking is a passion of mine and I'm always excited to try out new recipes. But, cooking a pig is a whole new level. If you mess this up, it isn't a cheap experiment and everyone you invite over will go hungry.

But, I dove in completely. I ordered a whole hog from a local farm. I read everything I could and watched tons of videos. Of course I was nervous, but I was even more excited.

A few brave local friends were invited over with the disclaimer that I had no idea how it was going to turn out and the reality of possibly ending up waiting hours and then ordering takeout.

Because my father-in-law couldn't join us in person, I documented the whole process so that he could enjoy it virtually and plus I hoped it would help others who might try this in the future.

Thankfully it all worked out, I learned a lot and I can't wait to roast another pig in the near future. In addition to pigs, I'm learning that La Caja China can be used for lots of different things.

Lobster bake anyone?