This has to be one the most known and appreciated dish and was nominated one of the seven wonders of Portuguese cuisine. Originally from the region of Bairrada, some 70km south of Oporto, people flock here to appreciate both this typical dish and the excellent wines this region produces.
The oldest document that refers this delicacy dates back from 1743, being a recipe from a convent.
With it's golden brown crispy skin and tender meat, the sucking pig with a month to a month and a half of age and at about 6 to 8 kilos, becomes an experience for the senses.
You'll need:
1 suckling pig
Crushed garlic cloves
Sea salt
Pepper (plenty)
Lard
Parsley
Push a rod through the pig and rub the mixture of the lard, the crushed garlic, the salt and the pepper through the inside of the pig, using up all of this mixture.
While the wood oven is heating up, sew the pig with needle and kitchen thread so that it's closed.
Put the pig in the oven, placing a platter underneath so that the juices are collected here.
Every half hour, take out the pig and "clean" the skin with a cloth to remove the excess fat. By removing the pig from the oven to clean, this provokes a thermal shock which will make the skin crispier.
It takes between an hour and a half to two hours for the pig to cook. When it's done, take out the rod and serve on a platter.
Serve with fried potatoes and a sparkling red wine.
Bom apetite.
