Pork Entertaining Main

Croatian-style suckling pig

Name: Croatian-style suckling pig recipe
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 5kg whole suckling pig (see note); 40.00 ml fine salt, to season; 300g hickory smoking wood chips (see note); 250ml cider vinegar; Warm focaccia, ajvar (red capsicum and eggplant relish) and lemon wedges, to serve

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by Monika Hecimovic

delicious. team

Dec 05, 2023

“There’s nothing more celebratory than a suckling pig cooked outside, spit-roast style. You can create a similar version at home using smoking wood chips in the oven to mimic an open fire. It’s not only a centerpiece on the Christmas table but something that brings everyone together – from fighting for crispy bits of crackle to figuring out who gets to take the leftovers home. It’s essential at our Christmas gatherings. Sretan Božic!” – Monika Hecimovic

5kg whole suckling pig (see note)
2 tbs fine salt, to season
300g hickory smoking wood chips (see note)
1 cup (250ml) apple cider vinegar, to brush
Warm focaccia, ajvar (red capsicum and eggplant relish) and lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line a large oven tray that fits inside your oven with a double piece of baking paper.
2.

Place the pig on the prepared tray and liberally rub all over the skin with the salt. If you have a 900mm-wide oven, arrange pig so it's laying almost flat across the cavity section, with the head sitting upright and the back legs tucked in underneath. If you have a 600mm-wide oven, lay pig on one side, slightly curved, to fit (you'll need to turn pig over halfway during roasting time to get an even browning on skin).
3.

Place wood chips in a medium cast-iron pan, spreading evenly to cover base of pan. Cook, covered, over high heat on your stove top until just beginning to smoke. Remove cover, then immediately transfer pan to lowest shelf in oven. Place pig on tray on shelf directly above wood chips.
4.

Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced and slow-roast for 3 hours, basting skin liberally with vinegar every 30 minutes, or until flesh is very tender and skin has a deep golden smoky colour, and feels crisp all over when lightly touched. If your wood chips stop smoking during cooking, light a few pieces to ignite, blowing out any flame to restart the smoking process.
5.

Remove pig from oven and rest on tray for 10 minutes before transferring to table. Serve hot with warm focaccia, ajvar and lemon wedges alongside.

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Recipe Notes

Begin this recipe at least 4 hours ahead.

You can purchase whole suckling pigs either fresh or frozen. If using a frozen one, allow up to 2 days defrosting time in your fridge to thaw completely and then wipe over well with paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. You can find smoking wood chips at supermarkets in 600g packets, which work well in an oven. If using an outdoor hooded barbecue, try a smoking wood chunk; these come in many varieties. Cherry or apple would be well-suited to this dish.