Posted on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 in
Pork Recipes
Portuguese Suckling Pig (Leitão)
Portuguese suckling pig (leitão), traditional Portuguese recipe to accompany a good bottle of wine.
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| Preparation time | n/a |
| Cooking Time | n/a |
| Ready In | 2 h 55 min |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 8 |
Ingredients
1 whole suckling pig (10-15 lbs), washed and cleaned4 ounces salted butterOregano, to tasteSea salt, to taste6 garlic cloves, crushedGround black pepper, to taste1 laurel leaf1 cup white wine
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Preparation
- Melt butter.
- Mix in oregano, salt, crushed garlic and pepper. Rub butter mixture over and inside the suckling pig. Wrap marinated suckling pig in triple-bagged plastic bag and refrigerate. Let marinate for at least 5 hours.
- Bring marinated pig to room temperature. Heat oven to 250°F. Remove pig from plastic bag, place stomach-down in oven pan on a rack.
- Place laurel leaf inside pig. Drizzle with white wine. Roast until pig reaches 130°F (test with cooking thermometer – likely to be a couple of hours depending on the size of your pig).
- Make sure you flip the pig onto its backside about halfway through. Baste every 20-25 minutes.
- When the pig reaches 130°F, turn up the heat to 400°F to get a crispy exterior, making sure you turn the pig once to distribute the crispiness.
- Tip: If the pig is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil to protect against burning.
- Internal temp should reach 160°F. Remove from oven and let cool on cutting board.
- Serve with a bottle of your favorite wine or a bottle of (dry) sparkling wine.
Recipe & Photo Credit: catavino.net
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Joseph
I use a pork loin from my local carniceria. Works just fine--and my guest do not have to look at that little piggy's head on the platter.
2 Years ago, Sunday, July 17, 2022
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