Baked suckling pig
6 servings
120 minutes
Roast milk piglet is a dish rooted in European culinary traditions, especially popular in Spain and France. This culinary masterpiece is known for its tenderness and juiciness, as milk piglets have soft meat with thin skin that is roasted to a crispy golden crust. A marinade of garlic, lard, and aromatic herbs gives the dish a rich flavor with subtle spicy notes. Slow roasting helps retain the meat's juiciness while the final temperature increase creates an appetizing crispy crust. The piglet is served sliced with a sauce made from its own juices, perfectly complemented by white wine. This dish is traditionally prepared for holidays, family celebrations, or important events as it symbolizes hospitality and culinary sophistication.
1
Before roasting the piglet in the oven, you need to: clean and finely chop the garlic. Mix it with lard, coarse salt, thyme, and marjoram. You can also mash the garlic into a paste and mix it with the remaining ingredients; this paste is easier to use than the previous mixture. If you prepare the garlic paste in advance, a day before, the garlic will enhance its effect, making the piglet tastier.
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Lard: 200 g
- Coarse salt: to taste
- Thyme: to taste
- Marjoram: pinch
2
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees for one hour; during this time, rub the pig inside and out with the prepared mixture using a kitchen brush. Place the pig on a heat-resistant tray. Put bay leaves at the bottom and pour a cup of water into the tray without wetting the pig's skin. Melt the lard. Puncture the skin and head with a thick needle or fork and rub with pre-melted fat. This is very important to prevent air bubbles from forming and to create a crispy crust.
- Gutted suckling pig: 10 kg
- Bay leaf: 3 pieces
- Water: 1.5 glass
- Lard: 200 g
3
Roast the milk pig at 150 degrees in the center of the oven with top and bottom heating for about 1 hour, frequently basting with the juice in the tray. Leave the pig in the oven without turning for half an hour. If the water in the tray evaporates, add a little to keep the pig slightly moist for better flavor. For the next 15-20 minutes, raise the temperature to 190 degrees to form a crispy and golden crust. The milk pig should be in the oven for almost 2 hours.
- Gutted suckling pig: 10 kg
- Water: 1.5 glass
4
Remove it from the oven, slice it, and pour the juice from the tray into a sauce boat. The sauce is for dipping bread or mixing with meat. A very good side dish for this meal is a fresh chicory salad and good white wine.
- Water: 1.5 glass