Roast pig is an ancient food, prepared in locations around the world millennia ago. Open-fire rotisserie roasts were likely the original method of preparation, and outdoor community pig roasts are still held in the Philippines, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. In the American deep south, a pig roast is sometimes known as a “pig pickin.” In Hawaii, a pig roast is a central part of a celebration known as a luau. In Miami and Cuba, pig roasts utilizing a “caja china,” or grilling box, are customarily held on Christmas Eve. This recipe for roast suckling pig in the Spanish style, also called cochinillo asado, is scaled down for a home kitchen oven, and is common in the cuisine of Castilla, Spain.
Recipe Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 lb suckling pig
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup spanish or other fruity olive oil
- ½ cup butter
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into four pieces
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Season the piglet with salt and pepper, inside and out, and wrap the ears with foil to prevent burning.
- Place the piglet in a large roasting pan, coat it with olive, and place dabs of butter all over it.
- Roast in the oven, basting often with pan drippings, for 2 hours 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before removing the piglet from the oven, toss the carrots and onions in the pan.
- Reduce the oven’s temperature to 200°F once the carrots are tender, transfer the piglet to a baking sheet, remove the foil from its ears, and return it to the oven to keep warm.
- Pour the juices from the roasting pan along with the carrots and onion into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it begins to sizzle.
- Skim the fat off the top, add the water, increase the heat to high, and boil until mixture thickens.
- Strain mixture through a sieve or cheesecloth into a gravy boat or small serving bowl.
- Transfer the piglet to a large platter, slice, and serve with warm gravy on the side.
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