Cochinillo asado is the Madrid asador's headline: a 21-day-old suckling pig roasted whole in a wood-fired oven, the skin crackling and the meat carved with a plate edge to prove its tenderness.

Cochinillo asado is a Castilian tradition that became Madrid's defining roast through the wood-oven asadores of the Centro and La Latina. Sobrino de Botin near Plaza Mayor has roasted cochinillo segoviano in the same 1725 wood oven since its founding, making it the Guinness-certified oldest restaurant in the world. The pig is 21 days old, 4.5 kilos at slaughter, marinated in lard, white wine and salt, then roasted in clay dishes in the wood oven for 90 minutes. The canonical service: the dining-room chef carves the pig with the edge of a ceramic plate (no knife), then smashes the plate on the floor to prove the skin's crispness. Ernest Hemingway named it as one of his favourite Madrid meals.

5 editor picks for Cochinillo asado in Madrid, ranked by editorial score. All Madrid signature dishes · Cochinillo asado across every city.