Stuffed Roast Suckling Pig

Name: Stuffed Roast Suckling Pig
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 8-10
Ingredients: 1 (12-15-lb.) whole suckling pig, cleaned; 2 cups adobo para cochinito; 1 ⁄ 3 cup lard (or vegetable oil); 3 medium white onions, peeled and diced; 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced; 3 large tomatoes, finely diced; 2 tart green apples, peeled and diced; 6 red bliss potatoes, peeled and diced; 2 cups diced fresh pineapple; 6 carrots, peeled and diced; 1 ⁄ 2 cup raisins; 3 ⁄ 4 cup pimento-stuffed olives; 3 pickled jalapeños, diced; 1 ⁄ 3 cup juice reserved; 1 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce; 12 sprigs fresh thyme; 12 bay leaves, crumbled; 1 Tbsp. ground Mexican cinnamon; 2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups fresh orange juice; 1 ⁄ 3 cup fresh lime juice

Serves
serves 8-10

This stuffed roast suckling pig is one of the local dishes served by Venancia Toledo Hernandez at the Ixtepec market on Sundays.

Ingredients

1 (12-15-lb.) whole suckling pig, cleaned
2 cups adobo para cochinito
¹⁄₃ cup lard (or vegetable oil)
3 medium white onions, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 large tomatoes, finely diced
2 tart green apples, peeled and diced
6 red bliss potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
6 carrots, peeled and diced
¹⁄₂ cup raisins
³⁄₄ cup pimento-stuffed olives
3 pickled jalapeños, diced
¹⁄₃ cup juice reserved
1 ¹⁄₂ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
12 sprigs fresh thyme
12 bay leaves, crumbled
1 Tbsp. ground Mexican cinnamon
2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh orange juice
¹⁄₃ cup fresh lime juice

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Instructions

Step 1

Rinse pig thoroughly, then pat dry. Rub inside and out with adobo para cochinito. Transfer to a large roasting pan, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 2

Heat lard in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomatoes. Cook until juices evaporate, about 3 minutes, then add apples, potatoes, pineapple, carrots, raisins, olives, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350°. Season pig with salt and pepper, then lay it on one side and spoon stuffing into its stomach. (Extra stuffing may be baked in a covered dish for 1 hour while pig is roasting.) Close stomach with skewers, then pour orange and lime juices all over pig. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours, basting regularly with pan juices. Remove foil, roast for 30 minutes, then turn and roast for final 30 minutes.

Step 4

Transfer pig to a cutting board. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. Heat pan juices over high heat, skim fat, then transfer juices to a gravy boat. Remove skewers from pig. Spoon stuffing onto a platter. To carve pig, cut off 1 hind leg and 1 foreleg, then cut along spine and remove loin. Repeat on other side. Arrange meat over stuffing. Serve with juices.

Step 5

Variation: A 12-lb. pork shoulder can be substituted for pig. Marinate shoulder as in step 1, above. Place stuffing in a large roasting pan, lay shoulder on top, and roast as for pig, for a total of 3 hours.

Rinse pig thoroughly, then pat dry. Rub inside and out with adobo para cochinito. Transfer to a large roasting pan, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Heat lard in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomatoes. Cook until juices evaporate, about 3 minutes, then add apples, potatoes, pineapple, carrots, raisins, olives, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Preheat oven to 350°. Season pig with salt and pepper, then lay it on one side and spoon stuffing into its stomach. (Extra stuffing may be baked in a covered dish for 1 hour while pig is roasting.) Close stomach with skewers, then pour orange and lime juices all over pig. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours, basting regularly with pan juices. Remove foil, roast for 30 minutes, then turn and roast for final 30 minutes.
Transfer pig to a cutting board. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. Heat pan juices over high heat, skim fat, then transfer juices to a gravy boat. Remove skewers from pig. Spoon stuffing onto a platter. To carve pig, cut off 1 hind leg and 1 foreleg, then cut along spine and remove loin. Repeat on other side. Arrange meat over stuffing. Serve with juices.
Variation: A 12-lb. pork shoulder can be substituted for pig. Marinate shoulder as in step 1, above. Place stuffing in a large roasting pan, lay shoulder on top, and roast as for pig, for a total of 3 hours.