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Leitão Assado

Roast pork rubbed with garlic, paprika, bay, and white wine in the style of the Bairrada suckling pig, here made with bone-in pork shoulder because leitão is hard to buy. The skin finishes crisp. Plan ahead: marinate the pork overnight.

240 minMediumServes 6520 cal/serving

PortugueseDinnerOvenStandardGluten-FreeEgg-FreeDairy-FreeNut-FreeShellfish-Free

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Ingredients

  • 3 lbs bone-in pork shoulder, skin on, scored
  • 10 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 4 bay leaves, crushed
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. 1

    Pound 10 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp sweet paprika, and 4 crushed bay leaves into a paste with 1/4 cup olive oil.

  2. 2

    Stir in 1/2 cup dry white wine. Rub the paste all over 3 lbs scored bone-in pork shoulder, skin on, pushing it into the score marks. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

  3. 3

    Heat the oven to 325°F. Set the pork skin side up in a roasting pan. Roast 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting with the pan juices, until the thickest part reaches 190°F inside.

  4. 4

    Raise the oven to 450°F and roast 15 minutes more, until the skin is crisp and blistered.

  5. 5

    Rest the pork 15 minutes. Pull or slice it, and spoon the pan juices over the top.

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Questions

What is Leitão Assado?

Roast pork rubbed with garlic, paprika, bay, and white wine in the style of the Bairrada suckling pig, here made with bone-in pork shoulder because leitão is hard to buy. The skin finishes crisp. Plan ahead: marinate the pork overnight. This reference files it under Portuguese dinner: made in the oven, rated medium and about 240 minutes start to finish.

How long does Leitão Assado take?

As written, 240 minutes: 20 of prep and 220 of cooking. The longest single stretch is the hands-off wait in step 2, overnight, or about 8 hours. That wait sits outside the stated prep and cook times, so plan around it.

What oven temperature does Leitão Assado need?

For Leitão Assado, the oven is set to 325 F (about 165 C) in step 3. The longest stretch at that heat is 2 hours, in step 3. The target internal temperature is 190 F (about 90 C), given in step 3. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork. The oven is also used at 450 F (about 230 C) in step 4.

Why score it in Leitão Assado?

Step 2 reads: "Rub the paste all over 3 lbs scored bone-in pork shoulder, skin on, pushing it into the score marks." The shallow cuts in step 2 let fat render and seasoning reach further in, and they keep the surface from curling as it tightens in the heat.

What can I use instead of white wine in Leitão Assado?

The entry for Leitão Assado calls for 1/2 cup dry white wine. In its place: Use chicken or vegetable stock with a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice per half cup for the acidity.

Can I start Leitão Assado the day before?

Yes. Step 2 is a built-in pause of overnight, or about 8 hours: "Cover and refrigerate overnight." Do everything up to that point ahead of time and pick up at step 3 when you are ready to finish.

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