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Traditional and Tasty Portuguese Suckling Pig Recipe

Traditional and tasty Portuguese suckling pig (leitão tradicional), traditional Portuguese recipe to accompany a good bottle of wine.
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Traditional and Tasty Portuguese Suckling Pig Recipe

Preparation timen/a
Cooking Timen/a
Ready In2 h 55 min
Level of DifficultyEasy
Servings8

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
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

  1. Melt butter.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. Make sure you flip the pig onto its backside about halfway through. Baste every 20-25 minutes.
  6. 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.
  7. Tip: If the pig is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil to protect against burning.
  8. Internal temp should reach 160°F. Remove from oven and let cool on cutting board.
  9. Serve with a bottle of your favorite wine or a bottle of (dry) sparkling wine.

Recipe & Photo Credit: catavino.net

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Comments
Joseph
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.
3 Years ago, Sunday, July 17, 2022
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