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Leitão à Bairrada

Name: Leitão à Bairrada
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 135 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 suckling pig (8-10 lb), halved or butterflied; 6 cloves garlic, smashed; 1/4 cup lard or olive oil; 1/4 cup white wine; 2 tbsp sweet paprika; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 bay leaves, crumbled; 1/2 cup olive oil, for the sauce; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, for the sauce; 2 cloves garlic, minced, for the sauce; 1 tsp salt, for the sauce

A whole suckling pig roasted until the skin shatters like glass, served with orange slices and a garlicky pan sauce — the pride of the Bairrada region.

⏱ 30 minPrep time

🔥 2 hr 15 minCook time

🍽 8Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Leitão à Bairrada is the golden roast suckling pig of central Portugal, skin crackling to shards while the meat beneath stays spoon-tender. Rubbed with a paste of garlic, lard, bay and wine, it is slow-roasted until the whole kitchen hums with its aroma.

Served warm with a bright, peppery sauce of oil, vinegar and garlic, it is the centerpiece of festive gatherings in the Bairrada region. A proper roast deserves attention: crisp skin, juicy meat and a table of good friends around it.

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Step by stepInstructions

Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern and rub the pig all over with the garlic, lard, wine, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaves.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours.
Roast at 325°F until the meat is tender and the skin begins to crackle, about 2 hours; raise the oven to 450°F for the last 15 minutes to crisp the skin fully.
Rest 20 minutes, then chop into serving pieces.
Whisk the sauce ingredients together and serve warm with the pork.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Dry the skin thoroughly before roasting — moisture is the enemy of crackling. Ask your butcher to butterfly the pig so it cooks evenly.

Recipe details

Prep30 min

Cook2 hr 15 min

Servings8

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Leitão à Bairrada

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Leitão à Bairrada

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