Cochinillo....suckling pig

[Xabia Jim]

Well, here we go...the first major meal in the new oven.

Cochinillo is baby pig. They are all over the place here in Spain during the holiday season. We picked up one yesterday at the Denia market. It weighed 5.3 kilos whole and will be about 11 pounds to roast. It's going in the marinade now, a fruit and garlic mixture. We will cook it tomorrow for new years eve, a meal for 6.

Today we're doing pizzas and bread. The oven is hot now, abouit 500 degrees. The pizza dough and bread is rising below the oven as we type. The whole wheat bread is a new recipe, so wish us luck!

So far I've been playing...roasting chesnuts by the fire in the oven...and also toasting raw almonds on the hearth. Both delicious and a taste of the holidays. Beautiful day, watching the sun set now....

I'll post the marinade, cooking technique and results later....New Years day we're doing a roast leg of lamb....olive oil, rosemary, garlic and wine mainade tomorrow! Gotta love the holidays.....

Feliz anos...happy new year to all....
Jim

[Versachi]

Re: Cochinillo....suckling pig

If you have a digital camera, please post some pics of the finished pig. Sounds like a great meal!

Cheers from the chilly north, Versachi

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Cochinillo....suckling pig

The cochinillo turned out fine.....not as pretty as hoped but it tasted great.

It roasted for 4 hours and was served for New Years Eve with roasted garlic rosemary potatoes. I turned it over 3 or 4 times during the roasting.

1/2 the pig served 6 people and then I put it back in the slow oven for another 2 to 3 hours. It could have probably cooked about another hour the first time to have it "fall off the bone" where they can cut it with a dinner plate! The meat was then pulled off the pig and the bones saved for a soup later.

I had some problems with toasting the extremities but there is not much edible meat on the lower legs anyway. I also used some foil over it to help it from toasting too much with the open fire I used.

We'll be doing that one again!

Happy New Year

I'll download and post before and after pics today....