Florida International University (FIU) will host its largest tailgate event to date with a pig roast competition ahead of the annual Shula Bowl football game on September 13. More than 80 teams are expected to participate in the event, which will take place near Pitbull Stadium.
The competition brings together alumni, students, faculty, staff, and participants from Miami-Dade and beyond to prepare whole roasted pigs using traditional South Florida methods. Most teams plan to use the caja china, an aluminum-lined roasting box popular for cooking pork at family gatherings and holidays.
The inventor of the caja china method is scheduled to attend and cook as part of President Jeanette M. Nuñez’s team. Other approaches will also be represented. Albert Lorenzo, an FIU alumnus from the class of 1974, leads a team sponsored by the Division of Marketing & Strategic Communications and plans to use an electric-powered portable grill that rotates the pig over charcoal. “I’m gonna either do it like my mom, rest in peace, used to do it, which is marinate it Cuban-style” – immersing the hog in a bath of citrus-garlic-herb-infused mojo – “or I might just do it the ‘regular way,’ which is with sea salt,” he says. He adds that both seasoning styles suit his chosen cooking method: “They’re all gonna be delicious. I don’t think you can go wrong with anybody that’s cooking there.”
Nateli Rodriguez, who graduated from FIU in 2014 and earned her master’s in international business in 2016, will lead a team organized by College of Arts & Sciences Executive Dean Mike Heithaus. Rodriguez highlighted the event’s cultural significance: “Just to be around family and friends while the pig is cooking for hours, it’s almost like a kickoff to the holidays,” she says. “It’s an exciting time just to gather and hang out while the pig cooks. I think that’s the most important part.” Her team aims for awards such as People’s Choice and best chicharron. “If it’s done right, it’s crispy and juicy and it’s delicious,” she says. “It’s the best part.”
Some participants focus less on competition than camaraderie. Dr. Roberto Lucchini, professor of environmental health at Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, said he looks forward more to relaxing with colleagues than preparing food: “I have to relax, and that’s the best way to do it, with people and talking,” he says.
Professor Pete Markowitz from FIU’s physics department joined three Athletics staff as members of Panther Pitmasters despite limited experience in barbecue preparation but sees value in community-building: “The pig roast is a chance for us to do something that we haven’t tried before. It’s something our fans should be able to identify with. It’s about community. It’s about this community.”
Tickets are required for entry; students can register for free using a promo code and must present their OneCard at entry gates.
