Another Marketman “experiment”. As I type this, the youngest little suckling pig we have ever cooked is on the coals. Inside, some garlic, spices and a serious amount of BLACK TRUFFLE puree (not essence, not oil, but mashed black truffles) along with olive oil, salt and pepper. I threw in little cubed potatoes at the last second, thinking they might absorb all the heavenly and luxurious ingredients within the cavity of the pig. On the outside, a slathering of olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of black truffle salt, the flecks of truffles dotting the skin. This is an experiment. And it could be a HORRIBLE DISASTER, not to mention a waste of some wonderful ingredients. Or it could be a wonderful success. The first TRUFFLED LECHON I have ever heard of. Seemed like a good idea to me. The pig snorts out the truffle. The truffle ends up all over the pig as it roasts. What do you think? Potential triumph or disaster? :)
38 Responses
i pray that it will be a success! or else sayang naman yung special ingredients
OMG! This sounds heavenly … I hope it WILL be a resounding success. A friend of mine was visiting cebu and I said she HAD to try some Zubuchon – her words, best tasting lechon ever! I will have to finagle some when I come home this Christmas!
It has to be a smashing success. MM you are really taking the pinoy lechon where no lechon has gone before with your experiments. How serious was the amount of BLACK TRUFFLES involved in this experiment? This might be a potential Thanksgiving feast for our family depending on your final verdict. How small is the suckling piggy in the picture?
Sounds extremely rich and yummy. I hope it tastes good, otherwise sayang yung truffles. I’m curious, where do you buy your truffles, MM?
Hi MM, do we have trees that produce Truffles?…a guy from Tazmania imported a tree from Europe and he is successful..
Porkkkk, i forgot the taste already ….
A definite success MM! All-natural and all-unique! I can’t wait to taste that especially right now that I haven;t had lunch. Hehe.
I bet it’s a success! Si Marketman pa…
i’d put a shield all over the critter to catch all the truflle-flavored drips! or i’d stuff it with rice that will slowly cook in truffled pig juice!
i’ve never tasted truffles…
yumm-O!
fingers crossed that it will come out spectacular….napakamahal naman kasi ng truffles :))
i’m with the rest of the people hoping it’s a success, but i must admit, i’m curious both ways.
i’m curious how it’ll taste as a success but i’m also curious if those wonderful ingredients not come out as great. hehe
I think it will be success!
The hunted flavoring the hunter.
hopefully it’ll be a success,but for me I’d use the truffle salt on the skin just before serving.
I can smell the scent of Tuscany via Cebu all the way to Dallas with your experiment! I am certain this maialino da latte arrosto al tartufo will come out a hit as truffles really go well with pork. I can also imagine you making a risotto dish with wild mushrooms and leftover truffled lechon ; )
Wow, thats looks really delicious specially the mashed truffles! I wanna try it. Can I? ;)
Raymund
https://angsarap.wordpress.com
whooooooaaa
How can you go wrong with lechon plus those ingredients?
It’s truffle season in France; I saw lots being sold in Dijon market……it’s an OMG taste. Thought of bringing back a piece but realized that I will not be able to pass it through custom! Just gorged on it while there…..truffle with pasta, steak and omellete with shaved truffle, etc. MM, are truffles available in Manila? Where?
sounds like a home run combination, almost anything tastes better with truffles.
truffle sounds like an aquired taste but i think your experiement right there will be a wonderful success! :)
Definitely another smashing success added in to your culinary adventure. Tell us, tell us how it turned out!
am i right with what i see that the lechon has still the tongue in it? I think here in manila the tongue is being removed and sold separately .
bubut, really?
our lechons here in davao always have tongues intact. i know, because my dad always got the lechon’s tongue!
bubut,
check your lechons tp see if the “lomo” (pork tenderloin) is still there. a friend told me that most manila lechoneros remove the tenderloin (that’s the long strip of meat that is stuck near the ribs – inside the lechon’s cavity, that should be stuck on the rib, by the lower 1/3 of the lechon) before roasting it. i guess they sell it as….well, pork tenderloin.
Hi Marketman, I’m trying to roast a suckling pig for Thanksgiving. I was planning on using the oven. Do you have any tips on how to successfully do this? Do I need to sew the belly up or should I spread the suckling pig on a sheet pan eagle style? Thanks !!
marketman..If i’m correct you’re still here in NYC till Thanksgiving…don’t forget to go to EATALY at 23rd and 5th avenue. It’s the gargantuan italian market/restaurants where everything is Italian:) hottest spot in Manhattan right now:)
Rain, I did visit Eataly, will do a post in the weeks ahead. But I am back in Manila now. Tracy, I suppose you could do it either way. Sew it up and stuff it and it will take longer to cook; spreadeagle and it will cook faster. You need a large oven, preferably with a convection feature. Some folks marinate their suckling pigs before they cook them (Spanish recipes range from wine to butter to oranges, etc. and some leave liquid in the pan to steam the pig at the beginning of the cooking process, then later, dry heat to crisp the skin. Personally, I would stuff lighly, sew it up and slather with oil/butter and place in a hot oven, turning it around every so often to cook it more evenly… bubut, lechoneros who want to make their lechons sound “cheaper” actually sometimes remove the tenderloin and sell it at premium prices in the market. Then they sell the tongue, etc as well. So if you compare that kind of lechon with say the ones Zubuchon sells, it isn’t an caimito to caimito comparison. The tenderloin is worth good money. Make sure your lechon has it. :)
Sounds like this is not one for the faint hearted! Not only because the cavity of the pig is filled with ingredients chef use very sparingly, but the description is also wonderfully tempting, sinful, exciting, and heart-pounding.
Uh, I’d better go lie down. I think I just got dizzy thinking how wonderfully this will hopefully turn out.
Thanks Marketman !!
aaahhh…lechon, it never stops to amaze me. Been dreaming to roast a pig for 5 yrs now… I hope one day I will be able to. Thanks MM!
@Tracy: where did you order your suckling pig???
Hi Mari, there are several online butchers that sell the suckling pig for approx $160/pig. Grace Marketplace on the UES also sells for that price. However, I believe that I can get a 12 lb suckling pig from a Chinatown butcher in Manhattan for half the price. I’m going to the butcher next week to order for Thanksgiving. Apparently, it takes at least a week’s lead time to get it. I’ll let you know if I’m successful.
silly question, mm, but i always wondered.
how do you kill the pig before he gets roasted?
do you stab the pig? then when he dies, you insert the bamboo stick for him to get roasted? or do you inject some poison so pig dies in peace?
bernice, I could actually write a whole post on this, with graphic photos, but it would probably turn off a lot of readers.
we have licensed butchers as well as a license to operate our own slaghterhouse/abbatoir; so what I describe below is our approach, and I can’t speak for other lechon purveyors:
Our pigs are purchased from backyard purveyors and spend their last few days or up to two weeks in airy and spacious pig pens, eating feed + organic fruits and veggies whenever possible (they stay under huge chico trees)… When their time is up, the licensed butcher leads them out of the pen (and they know what is coming, I have to say), they are quickly held firmly and a sharp knife is used to sever their jugular vein. It happens incredibly swiftly and SHOULD be done by an experienced butcher. The pig is bled, then innards removed, skinned and washed inside and out. The pigs are then put on a bamboo pole, cavity stuffed and sewn up.
We do not inject the pig with any poison, nor stun it with an electric current. It sounds cruel, and I suppose killing anything, including a plant is cruel, but I must say the butchers respect the animals and it is done as “professionally” as can be. But no, I wouldn’t say the pigs died in peace. :(
ouch. :( thanks for explaining.
@Tracy: can you e-mail me (mfsr10@yahoo.com) the place you ordered the pig?
Thanks. Mari
OMG this sounds like HEAVEN!