Posted on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 in Pork Recipes

Traditional and Tasty Portuguese Suckling Pig

Traditional and tasty Portuguese suckling pig (leitão tradicional), traditional Portuguese recipe to accompany a good bottle of wine.
5 out of 5 with 1 ratings
Views: 28503
Traditional and Tasty Portuguese Suckling Pig

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
Get Portuguese ingredients

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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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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