Leitão à Bairrada

Ingredients

• 4 kgsuckling pig — half a pig, cleaned and butterflied
• 200 glard — for the paste
• 1 headgarlic — pounded
• 2 tbspblack peppercorns — crushed
• 4bay leaves
• 120 mldry white wine
• 1orange — quartered
• 4 tbspcoarse sea salt — for the paste
• to tastecoarse sea salt

Method

1. Begin by preparing the marinade for the suckling pig. Peel and crush the entire head of garlic, then combine it with 120 ml of dry white wine, 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns, and 4 bay leaves in a large bowl. Rub the mixture thoroughly over the 4 kg suckling pig, ensuring every part is covered. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply into the meat.
2. The next day, preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). Remove the pig from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels, and season it generously with 4 tablespoons of coarse sea salt. This step is crucial for achieving a flavorful and crispy skin.
3. In a large roasting pan, melt 200 g of lard over medium-high heat. Once the lard is hot and shimmering, carefully add the suckling pig pieces in batches. Brown each piece on all sides until they develop a deep golden color, which should take about 5-7 minutes per batch. Remove the browned pieces and set them aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the leftover garlic from the marinade to the same pan. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the paprika. This step ensures the paprika releases its flavor without burning.
5. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the remaining marinade along with any juices from the browned pig pieces. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, which will add depth to the sauce.
6. Place the browned pig pieces back into the pan, ensuring they are snugly arranged. Squeeze the juice of 1 orange over the meat, then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.
7. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast gently for about 3-4 hours. The meat is done when it is tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. During roasting, occasionally baste the meat with its juices to keep it moist.
8. Once cooked, carefully skim off excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional coarse sea salt if needed. Serve the Leitão à Bairrada hot, accompanied by crusty bread or roasted potatoes to soak up the flavorful sauce.