Porcetto arrosto con pinzimonio (oven-roasted suckling pig with crudités)

Porcetto arrosto con pinzimonio is a classic Sardinian dish of slow-roasted pork, served with fresh vegetables. This recipe from Giovanni Pilu is ideal for home cooks as it’s designed to be cooked in a standard home oven, making it more accessible than traditional spit-roasting methods for suckling pig.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  10

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  3 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

The Italian Table

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• ½ suckling pig (see Note)
• 2 tbsp (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 300-400 g fine salt
• 4 rosemary sprigs

For the pinzimonio

• 1 fennel, thinly sliced using a mandoline
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced using a mandoline
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 treviso or radicchio, leaves separated
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 punnet micro parsley, snipped
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Allow the suckling pig to come to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before cooking. Keep covered in a cool place until needed.
   
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 110˚C (standard). Place the pig, skin-side up, on a rack on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil, rubbing it in, and completely cover the skin with salt, until white, rubbing it thoroughly into the skin.
   
3. Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 150°C and cook for a further 1 hour 20 minutes. Open the oven door and reduce the temperature to 120˚C, leaving the oven door open for about 5 minutes, or until the temperature drops to 120°C. Close the door and cook for a further 40 minutes or so, or until the meat comes away from the bone on the back leg.
   
4. Remove the suckling pig from the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C. Cover the pig loosely with foil and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Uncover and use a clean, damp cloth to brush off all the salt. Clean the roasting rack and place the pig, skin-side up, back on the rack on the baking tray. Return to the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the skin is crisp.
   
5. While the skin is roasting, prepare the pinzimonio. In a large bowl, combine the prepared vegetables with the lemon juice, olive oil and snipped micro herbs. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.
   
6. To serve, place the suckling pig on a clean chopping board and use a cleaver to cut into large pieces. Arrange on a serving platter and garnish with the rosemary sprigs. Serve the porcetto arrosto with the pinzimonio.
   

Note 

• Porcetto (pronounced por-chet-o) translates to a suckling pig, no larger than 10 kgs. Most butchers are reluctant to sell half a suckling pig this size, so it may be best to freeze the remaining half, or share with a friend.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

Want more from The Cook Up? Stream all the seasons here and for free at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

The Italian Table

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G