Pečeno Prase

The story

A whole pig roasted on a spit, turned slowly for hours over glowing embers until the skin crackles and the meat falls apart with tenderness, is considered the height of hospitality in Serbia—and the size of the pig someone chooses to roast for slava or Christmas is often read, half in jest, as a direct measure of how much the host values the guests. Spit-roasting is a craft of its own, one that demands constant attention: the spit has to turn evenly and the embers must be held at the right heat for hours. In many villages and towns the masters of this skill are something close to local celebrities, booked well in advance for the holiday season. The pig is often the visual centerpiece of the table, too—carried in whole, with an apple or an orange in its mouth, before being carved in front of the guests. For Serbian families in America, where roasting a whole pig outdoors takes space and equipment that city life rarely allows, putting on such a feast often becomes a special event planned well ahead by the whole community, not just one family.