Baked Shoulder of Suckling Pig – Paletilla de Cochinillo
Paletilla de cochinillo – baked shoulder of suckling pig – is one of the great Spanish roasts. I came back to Casa Adora for New Year's Eve specifically to cook this, returning from a short excursion to Ciudad Real in Florie, my Fiat Ducato campervan. There's no oven in the van, and I wanted to do this properly: high heat to start, long slow roast to finish, and vegetables in the pan for the last hour. No red peppers in the house — not even a jar — so carrots, onions, garlic, and a Granny Smith apple stood in. It worked.
Paletilla de cochinillo — New Year's Eve, Casa Adora
INGREDIENTS
- 1 shoulder of suckling pig (paletilla de cochinillo)
- Lard or duck fat
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- ½ glass of water
- Dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sea salt flakes
- 1–2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into smallish chunks
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
- 2 bay leaves
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 230°C.
Make slits in the skin of the shoulder and lather generously with lard or duck fat. Place in a greased roasting pan and pour over a glass of dry white wine and half a glass of water. Sprinkle with dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper, and sea salt flakes.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C. Baste from time to time.
After one hour, add the potatoes, carrot, onion, apple, and bay leaves to the roasting pan. Bake for a further hour, adding a little more water if things start to dry out.
When done, remove the shoulder and rest loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the vegetables and pan juices.
PALETILLA DE COCHINILLO – THE FLEXIBLE CHEF'S NOTES
The high initial temperature is important — it gets the skin crackling before the long slow roast does its work. Basting regularly during the second stage keeps everything moist. The apple is not traditional but works well with the pork and the sweetness of the carrot. If you have red peppers, use them — they're the classic accompaniment. A Granny Smith is a reasonable substitute when the cupboard lets you down on New Year's Eve.
FOOTNOTE
This recipe is part of the Pork Hub — browse the full collection for more pork recipes.
It also features in my Spanish Recipes collection — regional classics, tapas, seafood, rice dishes and food cooked from Andalucía and the road.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
Hey Chef, wonderful sounding recipe. I have a shoulder of pork so I'm going to give yours a go for my dinner party. One pan saves on the washing up, that always gets my vote.
Happy New Year !!!
MoA. x