Leitão à Bairrada

Name: Leitão à Bairrada
Cook time: 260 min
Total time: 260 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 1 Milk-Fed Suckling Pig, 6-7 kg, cleaned and trussed; 8 cloves of Garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp Sea Salt, coarse; 1 tsp White Pepper, ground; 1 tbsp Sweet Paprika, colorau; 2 leaves of Bay Leaf, crumbled; 200g Pork Lard, softened; 1 Orange, cut into wedges; 3 leaves of Bay Leaf; 100g Pork Lard, melted; 120ml White Wine Vinegar; 2 cloves of Garlic, very finely minced; 1 tsp Sea Salt, fine; 1/2 tsp White Pepper, ground; 1 tsp Piri-Piri, chili flakes or sauce; to taste; 60ml Pork Drippings, hot, from the roast (or melted lard); 1/2 lemon of Lemon Juice

Leitão à Bairrada is a rustic Portuguese roast suckling pig with a deeply savory, citrus-and-garlic aroma and impossibly crisp crackling. Slow-roasted and basted with melted lard and its own drippings, the meat becomes meltingly tender while the skin turns golden and shatteringly crisp. Serve it carved at the table with bright lemon or orange to cut through the richness.

Leitão à Bairrada is a rustic Portuguese roast suckling pig with a deeply savory, citrus-and-garlic aroma and impossibly crisp cra... Show more

Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Health Grade

B- · Healthy

Time

4 hrs

Price

3,87 €

Calories

1347 kcal

gluten free

high protein

low carb

keto

Method

Make the paste

Use the flat side of a knife to smash all 8 cloves of the Garlic with the coarse Sea Salt until the cloves break down. Work in the 1 tsp White Pepper, 1 tbsp Sweet Paprika, 2 crumbled Bay Leaf leaves, and 200 g softened Pork Lard until you have a thick, spreadable paste.

Season the pig

Pat the Milk-Fed Suckling Pig very dry inside and out, then rub the paste all over the cavity, the skin, and any folds or seams. Coat it evenly, but don't leave big clumps on the skin, since thin layers brown better.

Stuff the cavity

Cut the Orange into wedges if needed, then tuck the wedges and the remaining bay leaves into the cavity. Pull the opening closed again and re-truss it snugly if the stuffing wants to slip out.

Preheat the oven

Heat the oven to 375° F. Set a rack in a large roasting pan so the pig can roast above its fat and the heat can circulate underneath.

Roast and baste

Set the pig skin-side up on the rack and roast for 3 hours, basting the skin with the melted lard every 20 minutes. If one side is browning faster than the rest, rotate the pan or shield that patch loosely with foil. For the last 15 minutes, raise the oven to 450° F so the skin blisters and turns crackly-golden.

Make the molho

Transfer the roast to a board or platter and let it rest for 15 minutes. While it rests, whisk together 120 ml of the White Wine Vinegar, 2 very finely minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp Piri-Piri, 60 ml hot Pork Drippings, and the Lemon Juice from 1/2 lemon until the molho turns sharp and lightly emulsified. If you don't have quite enough drippings, top it up with a little melted lard.

Carve and serve

Discard the orange wedges and bay leaves from the cavity, carve the Milk-Fed Suckling Pig into portions, and arrange everything on a warm platter. Serve the crispy skin and juicy meat with the molho on the side for dipping or spooning over the pieces.

Ingredients

Method

For 10 servings

Adjust servings

For the pig

1 Milk-Fed Suckling Pig, 6-7 kg, cleaned and trussed

For the seasoning paste

8 cloves of Garlic, crushed
2 tbsp Sea Salt, coarse
1 tsp White Pepper, ground
1 tbsp Sweet Paprika, colorau
2 leaves of Bay Leaf, crumbled
200g Pork Lard, softened

For stuffing the cavity

1 Orange, cut into wedges
3 leaves of Bay Leaf

For basting during roasting

100g Pork Lard, melted

For molho de leitão (spicy serving sauce)

120ml White Wine Vinegar
2 cloves of Garlic, very finely minced
1 tsp Sea Salt, fine
1/2 tsp White Pepper, ground
1 tsp Piri-Piri, chili flakes or sauce; to taste
60ml Pork Drippings, hot, from the roast (or melted lard)
1/2 lemon of Lemon Juice

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

1347 kcal

67% of Daily kcal

Protein

72 g

100% RDI

Fat

115 g

42g sat fat

Carbs

2.6 g

1% RDI

Sugar

0.7 g

1% RDI

Fiber

0.5 g

2% RDI

Salt

4.8 g

97% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

B- · 7.0 / 10

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