Cochinillo Asado

The story

Cochinillo asado, roast suckling pig with crackling skin, is a festive main dish tied especially to the city of Segovia in central Spain, where preparing suckling pig is regarded as a local culinary art, with a long tradition of specialized restaurants that do nothing else quite so well. The secret of a perfect cochinillo lies in the very young age of the animal—usually just a few weeks old—whose meat is exceptionally tender, while the skin is roasted at high heat to the point that, according to the legend of Segovia's restaurants, it can be cut with the edge of a plate instead of a knife, proof of perfect crispness. The preparation takes experience and precise control of temperature through the entire roasting. Cochinillo is served as one of the most festive main dishes a holiday table can offer, often reserved for special family celebrations or large gatherings. For Spanish families in the diaspora, cochinillo asado takes more planning and skill than most other Christmas Eve dishes, but its presence on the table signals at once that the occasion is an especially festive one.