Roast suckling pig, the typical dish of the Bairrada region south of Porto and one of 21 finalists for the 7 Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy in 2011.

Leitão assado à Bairrada is a typical dish of the Bairrada region of Portugal. Álvaro Pedro, who had sold suckling pig sandwiches to motorists on the EN1 road from 1941, opened the first restaurant to sell it to the general public in 1949, at Sernadelo near Alpalhão, in what is now Mealhada. In 2011 the dish was one of 21 finalists for the 7 Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy.

Where to eat Leitão à Bairrada (Roast Suckling Pig) in Porto

The editor picks for Leitão à Bairrada (Roast Suckling Pig) in Porto are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Porto signature-dishes index or the Porto food guide.

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Make it at home

Serves 65 hrAdvanced

Ingredients

  • 1 whole pork shoulder with skin on, 3kg (or a small suckling pig section if you can source one)
  • For the seasoning paste: 1 head of garlic peeled and crushed
  • 60g lard or pork fat
  • 4 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 3 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves crushed
  • 1 tbsp piri-piri sauce
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 200ml white wine, for basting
  • 200ml water
  • Sliced bread, sliced oranges, peppery rocket, and roast potatoes, to serve

Method

  1. The day before: pound garlic, lard, salt, pepper, bay, and piri-piri to a thick paste in a mortar. Stir in 2 tbsp white wine.
  2. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, 5mm deep. Push the paste deep into the scores and under the skin where possible. Refrigerate uncovered overnight (this dries the skin for crackling).
  3. Heat oven to 200C. Place pork skin-up on a wire rack over a deep roasting tray. Pour the water and 100ml wine into the tray base.
  4. Roast 30 minutes at 200C, then drop to 160C and continue for 3.5 hours. Baste with pan juices and a splash more white wine every 30 minutes.
  5. Increase oven to 240C for the final 25 minutes; this is when the skin transforms into crackling.
  6. Watch closely the last 10 minutes; the difference between crackling and burnt is short.
  7. Lift the pork onto a board. Cover loosely with foil and rest 20 minutes.
  8. Carve at the table with a heavy knife. The traditional service is to break off pieces of crackling and lay them alongside the flesh, with sliced bread for dipping into the tray juices and a side of oranges for the cut-through.

Editor tip. The skin crisps best when it is dry before roasting and the oven is at its hottest for the last minutes. A home oven cannot match a wood-fired one.