Leitão à Bairrada

Clean and pat dry the whole Milk-fed Suckling Pig; trim any excess fat and tie the legs so the pig keeps a compact shape while roasting.

Make a paste by finely mincing or crushing 6–8 cloves of Garlic with a generous handful of Sea Salt, a few twists of White Pepper, and 1–2 tablespoons of Sweet Paprika; add a pinch of Piri-Piri if you like heat.

Stir into the paste the juice and zest of the Orange, 2 tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice to form a loose marinade; crumble in 1–2 crushed Bay Leaf for aroma.

Loosen the skin gently with your fingers and spread small spoonfuls of softened Pork Lard between skin and meat and over the outside of the pig, then smear the garlic-citrus marinade both under the skin and inside the cavity for maximum flavor penetration.

Place a couple of additional bay leaves and an orange half inside the cavity for extra fragrance, cover the pig, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight to let the flavors develop.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (about 340°F) and set the pig on a rack in a roasting pan to allow air circulation under the skin; save any extra lard for basting.

Roast slowly for 2½–3 hours, basting every 20–30 minutes with melted Pork Lard and any accumulated pan juices so the skin blisters evenly and the meat cooks gently.

If the skin has not crisped to your liking after the slow roast, increase the oven to 220–230°C (430–450°F) or use a short blast under the broiler for 10–15 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning, until the crackling is golden and crisp.

Gather the browned pan juices and mix in a little more White Wine Vinegar or the reserved melted lard; spoon the resulting glaze over the pig as a final baste using the collected Pork Drippings to intensify flavor.

Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 15–20 minutes so the juices redistribute, then carve and serve with lemon wedges and extra orange on the side to brighten each bite.