Best Roast Suckling Pig Recipes

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WHOLE ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Whole Roast Suckling Pig image

A whole roast suckling pig is quite special. No other feast food of the holiday season cooks so easily, and presents so majestically. With its mahogany, crisp skin and its sticky-tender meat, people thrill to be at the party where this is on the buffet. Measure your oven, and be firm with your butcher about the pig's size, so you can be sure it will fit - most home ovens can easily accommodate a 20-pounder. Then, just give the pig the time it needs in a low and slow oven for its meat to reach its signature tender, succulent perfection, while you clean the house or do whatever it is you do before a special party. For the last 30 minutes, ramp the heat of the oven all the way up to get that insanely delicious crackling skin.

Provided by Gabrielle Hamilton

Categories     dinner, meat, project, main course

Time 6h

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 small (15- to 20-pound) suckling pig
20 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup neutral oil
Coarse kosher salt
1 small potato
1 small apple
1 lavish bunch each fresh rosemary, sage and bay leaves (still on the branch if you can manage it), for garnish

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare the pig: Wash it, including the cavity, under cold running water, and towel-dry thoroughly, the way you would dry a small child after a bath - ears, armpits, chest cavity, face, legs, backs of knees.
  • Sometimes there are imperfections remaining after the slaughtering and processing of the animal. Use dish towels or sturdy paper towels to rub away any dark spots on the ears, any little bit of remaining bristles around the mouth. Like that yellow, papery flaking skin you sometimes find on chickens, which can be peeled off to reveal tender, fresh skin underneath, a similar bit of crud can remain on pigs' chins and under their belly flaps. Clean this little cutie as if you were detailing your car! The purple U.S.D.A. stamp, however, is indelible. But not inedible.
  • Bard the pig with all 20 garlic cloves, making deep incisions all over with a thin filleting knife and shoving the cloves into each pocket; include the cheeks and the neck and the rump and the thighs and the loin down the back and the front shoulders, all areas of the small creature that have enough flesh to be able to receive a clove of garlic. (Sometimes I find I have to slice the larger cloves of garlic in half to get them to slide into the incision.)
  • Rub the entire pig in oil exactly as you would apply suntan oil to a sunbathing goddess of another era, when people still were ignorant of the harmful effects of the sun. Massage and rub and get the whole creature slick and glistening. I do this directly in a very large roasting pan.
  • Wash and dry your hands. Take large pinches of kosher salt, and raising your arm high above the pig, rain down the salt in an even, light dusting all over. You can start with the pig on its back and get the cavity and the crotch, and then turn it over and get the back and the head and flanks. Or vice versa. But in the end, the whole animal is salted evenly and lightly, snout to tail.
  • Arrange the pig in the roasting pan, spine up, rear legs tucked under, with feet pointing toward its ears and its two front legs out ahead in front. Sometimes the pig needs a sharp, sturdy, confident chiropractic crack on its arching spine, just to settle it in comfortably to the roasting pan, so it won't list to one side or topple over.
  • Put the potato deep into its mouth, and place in the oven, on the bottom rack, and roast slowly for about 4 to 5 hours, depending on the size of your pig. (Plan 15 minutes of roasting time per pound of pig; if you have a 20-pounder, then you'd need about 5 hours total cooking time.) Add a little water to the roasting pan along the way if you see the juices are in danger of scorching, and loosely tent the animal with aluminum foil in vulnerable spots - ears, snout, arc of back - if you see them burning. For the last half-hour, raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees, and cook until the skin gets crisp and even blistered, checking every 10 minutes.
  • Tap on it with your knuckle to hear a kind of hollow sound, letting you know the skin has inflated and separated from the interior flesh; observe splitting of the skin at knuckles - all good signs the pig is done. Or use a meat thermometer inserted deep in the neck; the pig is ready at 160 degrees. Let rest 45 minutes before serving.
  • Remove the potato, and replace it with the apple. Transfer the pig to a large platter; nestle big bouquets of herbs around the pig as garnish. Save pan juices, and use for napping over the pulled meat when serving.

ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Roast Suckling Pig image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Yield about 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 26

1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme
Salt and fine black pepper
1 (15 pound) suckling pig
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cumin
2 cups julienne onions
6 oranges, halved
3 limes, halved
3 lemons, halved
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup white wine
Rice and Black Bean Dressing, recipe follows
2 cups cooked white rice
Juice of 2 oranges
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup celery
1/2 pound lean ground pork
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 cups cooked black beans

Steps:

  • This recipe is a two day procedure. Make sure that your butcher thoroughly cleans the suckling pig. By cleaning inside and out and removes the eyeballs. With a knife make several cuts on the pig's skin so the skin doesn't burst during cooking. Prop the pig's mouth open with a small yam. Season the entire pig with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place the pig in a garbage bag and tie the back tightly. Place the pig in the refrigerator and chill for 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and rinse thoroughly. In a mixing bowl combine the garlic, parsley, thyme, cumin, bay leaves, onions, juice of the orange, lime, lemon, olive oil and wine. Whisk the marinade until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Place the pig back in the bag and pour the marinade over the pig. Tie the back tightly and place back in the refrigerator. Turn the pig every three hours. Refrigerate the pig for 12 hours. Remove the pig from the refrigerator and out of the bag, reserve the marinade. Stuff the cavity with the stuffing. Using a kitchen needle and thread, tie up the cavity. Tie the front legs and then back legs. Cover the tail with aluminum foil. Place the pig on a large roasting pan and pour the reserved marinade over the pig. Place the pig in the oven. Roast the pig in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes per pound, about 5 hours, basting and turning the pig every hour. For unstuffed pig, roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes per pound. Internal temperature should be about 155 to 160 degrees for both methods. Remove the pig from the oven and allow the pig to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing.
  • In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the ground pork and continue to saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and parsley. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Stir in the beans and rice. Season with salt and pepper. Moisten the stuffing with the juice of 2 oranges.

CUBAN-STYLE ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Cuban-Style Roast Suckling Pig image

Provided by Douglas Rodriguez

Categories     Fruit Juice     Garlic     Pork     Roast     Christmas     New Year's Day     New Year's Eve     Spring     Christmas Eve     Oregano

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Marinade
Juice of 30 Seville (sour) oranges, or juice of 20 limes and 8 regular oranges (7 to 8 cups)
Cloves from 6 heads of garlic, minced
1 cup minced fresh oregano leaves
5 tablespoons salt
1 whole suckling pig (about 12 pounds), split
Lime, Garlic, and Oregano Mojo

Steps:

  • Combine the juice, garlic, oregano, and salt in a mixing bowl. Transfer to a large, deep roasting pan and place the pig, belly down, into the pan. Thoroughly coat the pig with the marinade, massaging it in. Let sit in the marinade overnight. Baste the pig occasionally.
  • Preheat the oven to 275°F.
  • Remove the pig from the marinade and place it on a large baking sheet. Cover the pig's ears, snout, and tail with aluminum foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 4 to 4 1/2 hours (20 minutes per pound).
  • Remove the foil when you take the pig out of the oven. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Serve with the mojo, and some black beans and rice .

WHOLE ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Whole Roast Suckling Pig image

Make and share this Whole Roast Suckling Pig recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Timothy H.

Categories     Pork

Time 4h

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

plain distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1/3 cup safflower oil
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon thyme
olive oil
1 cup stock
1 cup wine
1 small red apple
1 bunch watercress
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter

Steps:

  • THE DAY BEFORE COOKING, WASH pig inside and out; soak it in very cold water with vinegar for a few hours. This freshens and whitens the meat. If you pig is frozen, it can also defrost during this soaking. Over a medium heat cook the carrots, celery and onions in the oil for a good 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should become somewhat translucent, the carrots slightly caramelized. Add salt and thyme. Dry the pig thoroughly inside and out.
  • You may stuff the pig with the vegetables at this time; however, if you use a conventional stuffing, such as one for a turkey, wait until just before cooking and make certain that the pig and stuffing are at room temperature. The easiest way to close the opening is to use an ice pick or an upholstery needle to punch rows of holes about an inch apart on both sides of the stomach flaps. Then lace it up with thick string just as you would a shoe. You may also use skewers and string as you would for a turkey. Because protein firms as it cooks, the pig will stay in whatever position you place it. It should resemble a dog resting on its haunches.
  • Place the pig in the roasting pan; it may have to be placed diagonally. Tuck the hind legs close to the stomach on either side; tie them together with string under the stomach if needed. The forelegs should be pointing straight ahead (also tied together so they won't spread out) and the head resting between them. Place a small piece of wood (like a child's block) or a piece of bunched-up foil in the mouth, opening it as wide as you can. Twist the tail into a curl and secure it with string or tape. Place crumpled aluminum foil in the eye sockets (some people place marbles). At this point you may cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Before cooking the pig, let it come to room temperature.
  • Preheat oven to 450°F With the oil, thoroughly baste every inch of the pig, including the head, legs and tail. Out of aluminum foil make little covers for the ears and tail. If your pig hangs over the pan, use heavy-duty foil to extend the pan so that any juices will be collected. Place the pig in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pig quickly, shutting the oven door, baste with oil again and return to the oven. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F Continue basting with oil every 20 minutes 4 to 5 more times (for a total of 2 hours). If the ears and tail haven't browned, remove the aluminum covers for the last 20 minutes. The total cooking time will be between 2 and 2 1/2 hours.
  • The cooking time is less because it is not fully stuffed; if it were, it would take an hour longer. (Approximately 10 minutes per pound lightly stuffed or unstuffed; 15 minutes per pound fully stuffed.) The pig is done when the temperature of the thigh reaches 165F (trichinae are killed when the internal temperature reaches 139F for a period of 10 minutes). When done, it may easily rest for an hour under foil or in a turned-off oven. To serve, make a garland for the pig's neck by stringing together sprigs of watercress. Make certain your apple is nicely polished. Enlist some help and very carefully slide the pig onto the platter or carving board it will be presented on. It is rather fragile at this point and can even break in half. Make a sauce by skimming the fat off the juices in the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners, add the stock and the wine and bring to the simmer. Stir to dissolve all the roasting juices coagulated on the bottom and continue cooking about 10 minutes. If you wish to thicken the sauce, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour that have been blended with 2 tablespoons of butter, bring the sauce back to the boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove any remaining foil, string or skewers. Place the apple in the pig's mouth. Place the watercress garland around its neck and bring it to the table.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 114.8, Fat 8.1, SaturatedFat 1.7, Cholesterol 5.1, Sodium 622.2, Carbohydrate 7.1, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 3.3, Protein 0.7

ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Roast Suckling Pig image

A new twist on an old holiday favorite. While preparation is best done over a fire-pit, the oven works just as well if you are short on minions to turn and baste or if you happen to reside in the city.

Provided by MissJess

Categories     Everyday Cooking

Time 7h25m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 (12 pound) dressed suckling pig
½ cup butter, sliced
8 ounces sliced bacon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon blackened seasoning
2 cups apple cider
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red apple, for garnish

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Rinse the pig, and tie the front legs together with heavy string. Tie the back legs together also. Make numerous slits in the skin, and insert slices of butter, followed by cloves of garlic. Generously rub the entire pig with salt first, then the Cajun seasoning, including inside the cavity. Lay strips of bacon across the back and secure to the sides with toothpicks.
  • Place the pig in a large roasting pan and pour in the apple cider. Cover the ears and snout of the pig with aluminum foil to prevent scorching.
  • Roast for 7 hours in the preheated oven, basting every hour or so with the drippings. If the pan begins to dry out, add more cider or water. To serve, remove to a platter, and place the apple in the pig's mouth. Discard the aluminum foil from ears and snout.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1483.3 calories, Carbohydrate 8.5 g, Cholesterol 292.4 mg, Fat 136 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 52.5 g, SaturatedFat 50.3 g, Sodium 473.1 mg, Sugar 6 g

ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Roast Suckling Pig image

Select a whole pig weighing 30 to 35 pounds and have the butcher clean it. Long, slow cooking yields a marvelously tender product.

Provided by Morton Design Graph

Categories     Roast

Time 12h10m

Yield 20 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

30 -35 lbs pig
1 cup honey
1 cup orange concentrate
1 ounce soy sauce
2 lbs bread, cubed
1 head chopped celery
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dried sage (to taste)

Steps:

  • Rinse the cavity well with water and dry; set meat to the side.
  • Mix together and cook the liquid ingredients for 5 minutes.
  • Mix the bread cubes, celery and seasonings together.
  • Stuff the abdominal cavity firmly with the stuffing and sew up the opening or use skewers to seal.
  • Fit aluminum foil caps over the ears and tail to avoid burning.
  • These caps should be removed about l/2 hour before the barbecue is completed to obtain a uniform baking color.
  • Leave a wooden block in the pig's mauth, so that a red apple can be inserted when the barbecue is completed.
  • Briquettes are placed only on the sides of the charcoal grill and are separated from the suckling pig by the walls of a foil drip pan. (To make this drip pan, use 3 sheets of heavy aluminum foil molded slightly larger than the pig to collect the rich drippings.).
  • Place the cooking grill over the foil drip pan. (This will allow you to add more briquettes as needed, and to collect the basting fluids.).
  • Liberal usage of marinade on partially cooked suckling pig enhances the finished entree.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 199.3, Fat 1.6, SaturatedFat 0.3, Sodium 408.4, Carbohydrate 43.2, Fiber 1.7, Sugar 21.6, Protein 4.2

ROAST WHOLE SUCKLING PIG



ROAST WHOLE SUCKLING PIG image

Categories     Pork

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 small suckling pig, gutted and cleaned, with the kidneys left within
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Stuffing
4 red onions
a dollop of duck fat
375ml red wine
kidneys of the pig, chopped
1/2 loaf of day-old white bread, cubed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
8 sage leaves, chopped

Steps:

  • A day before cooking, salt and pepper your piglet liberally (we used around 6 tablespoons of salt), both inside and out, and place it uncovered on a wire rack, over a tray, and into your fridge. You want it to be cool and dry. Cook the red onions in duck fat over low heat until the onions are soft. Pour in the red wine. Let this simmer and reduce until the mixture becomes a yummy, dark red confit. If you find that the onions are becoming a tad dry but aren't soft enough, you can add a little bit of water to the pan and keep cooking. Add the chopped-up kidneys to the mix. Then add pieces of bread and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Take off the heat and add the garlic and sage. Set aside until cool to the touch. When ready, stuff your piglet. Turn your piglet over onto its back and fill the cavity with the stuffing. Sew as much of your piglet shut as you can. I used kitchen twine and a large needle and was able to sew up about two-thirds of its front. Preheat your oven with the fan on to 150 degrees Celsius. If you don't have a fan function, heat to 160 degrees Celsius. Lightly oil a roasting pan or oven tray and place your piglet on it, "sphinx-like", i.e. belly down, with its legs close to but on the side of the body. Shove a small ball of aluminium foil into the piglet's mouth. Also wrap the piggy's ears in foil. Rub a healthy amount of olive oil all over the piglet's back and sprinkle a little more sea salt over it. Pop it into your oven and roast for between 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours. We roasted ours for 3 hours 40 minutes and then turned off the heat in our oven, but left the fan on, and left it inside for another 30 minutes. Note, if you don't have a fan-assisted oven, you may want to spin your pan around after about 2 hours. Your pig's skin should be crisp and the meat tender and moist. Carve it at the table or inside your kitchen. Enjoy!

ROAST SUCKLING PIG A LA 'GRANDE BOUFFE'



Roast Suckling Pig a la 'Grande Bouffe' image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories     dinner, main course

Time 2h45m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 8-ounce loaves French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned thoroughly and sliced thinly crosswise
2 pounds chestnuts, scored, blanched, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1-ounce black truffle, sliced as thinly as possible
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried savory
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small suckling pig (about 15 pounds)
1 cup white wine or water

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Lay the bread cubes out on 2 cookie sheets, in single layers. Bake for 20 minutes. Toss the cubes and bake for 10 more minutes; the bread should be dry, not brown.
  • In a medium-size skillet, cook the bacon over low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 20 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Cook the leeks in the bacon fat until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the chestnuts and stir for 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the bread cubes, bacon, truffle, thyme, savory, 2 cups of stock, salt and pepper. Add additional stock if you like the stuffing very moist.
  • Raise the oven to 475 degrees. Remove the tail from the pig. Stuff the cavity with the bread mixture. Truss the pig to enclose the filling. Place in a roasting pan (with or without a rack), the trussed opening face down. Tuck the back legs under the body. Cover the snout and ears with foil to avoid burning. Place on the middle rack and roast for 45 minutes. Turn the pan and roast for 30 minutes more. Remove the foil and roast another 15 minutes. (The skin should be hard and crackly.)
  • Place the pig on a platter. Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a boil on top of the stove, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up any browned bits. Carve the meat, skin on. Serve with the stuffing on the side, moistened with the pan juices.

ROAST SUCKLING PIG



Roast Suckling Pig image

Provided by Jonathan Reynolds

Categories     dinner, main course

Time 3h

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 whole suckling pig (about 12 pounds), cleaned and butterflied
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons ground white pepper
1/4 cup Branston Pickle (see note)
2 teaspoons ground white pepper

Steps:

  • Rub the salt over both sides of the pig; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a large roasting pan with heavy-duty foil so that it extends beyond the pan. Brush the foil with the oil.
  • Combine the pepper and 2 tablespoons cold water and rub over both sides of the pig. Place the pig, skin side down, in the prepared pan. (The legs will extend beyond the pan, so make sure there is foil underneath.) Roast for 1 hour. Carefully turn the pig skin side up and roast 30 minutes more, or until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature registers 155 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
  • To make the pepper sauce, combine 1/2 cup water, the Branston Pickle and the pepper until blended. Serve with pig, if desired.

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