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Porceddu al Mirto — Suckling Pig with Myrtle

Step 1 of 4 ·
Serves 4

Ingredients

· · ·

Method

  1. 1
    Mount the suckling pig on the spit and roast over the fire, turning continuously so that the fat renders evenly and no patch of skin is allowed to colour faster than another. Roast until the skin is copper-crisp across its entire surface; it should yield a dry, hollow sound when tapped — no softness, no translucency.
  2. 2
    Remove the pig from the heat immediately upon reaching full crispness, because the skin must still be at its hottest when the myrtle goes on, so that the rising steam carries the herb's fragrance directly into the surface rather than merely perfuming the air around it. Working without delay, cover the entire pig generously with fresh myrtle branches gathered that same day, then lay the heavy cloth — or a second dense layer of myrtle branches — over the top to trap that steam and perfume fully. This is where the dish lives or dies: the myrtle must be fresh, the covering must insulate completely, and neither step can wait.
  3. 3
    Rest the pig under the myrtle for 20 to 30 minutes; do not exceed 40 minutes, because beyond that point the skin begins to soften from the trapped moisture and the myrtle aroma tips from an accent into something heavy and medicinal. The correct moment to uncover is signalled by a pine-citrus-herbal fragrance that is pronounced but not sharp when the cloth is lifted.
  4. 4
    Remove all myrtle branches and serve the pig immediately. The skin should be golden, crisp to the touch, and fragrant with myrtle; any softening indicates the rest ran too long or the covering was insufficient.
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HACCP Brief — Codex Alimentarius CXC 1-1969 Porceddu al Mirto — Suckling Pig with Myrtle
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