Leitao

Name: Leitao
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 1 whole suckling pig; 1 head garlic; Lard, for basting; Bay leaves

Leitão/lay-TOWNG/

Also known as: Suckling Pig

About this dish

Whole roast suckling pig with crackling skin, a specialty of the Bairrada region.

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Ingredients

🐖1 whole suckling pig

🧄1 head garlic

🧈Lard, for basting

🌿Bay leaves

Method

Serves 2

Rub the pig inside and out with a paste of garlic, lard, bay leaf, and salt.

Roast slowly on a spit or in a very large oven, basting frequently.

Continue roasting until the skin is deeply crisp and the meat tender.

Chop into pieces and serve with orange slices and crisp skin on the side.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Leitão is closely associated with the town of Mealhada in Bairrada, traditionally roasted whole and rubbed with garlic and lard.

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