Porceddu Sardo

Name: Porceddu Sardo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Sarda
Ingredients: 2500 g suckling pig; 25 g coarse sea salt; 50 g fresh myrtle branches; 20 g Lard; 3 g Black pepper

Porceddu Sardo, also called su porcheddu in Sardinian, is suckling pig slow-roasted until tender with brittle crackling, then perfumed with fresh myrtle leaves.

🇮🇹Italy· Sardinia

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 140 min
Total: 160 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 680 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 5 gathered

Servings

2500 g suckling pig — half piglet or bone-in shoulder and loin, skin intact and wiped dry
25 g coarse sea salt — for seasoning the underside and meat
50 g fresh myrtle branches — leafy sprigs (*mirto*)
20 g Lard — melted (*strutto*), for brushing skin
3 g Black pepper — coarsely crushed

Equipment

•Large roasting tin
•Wire roasting rack
•Kitchen paper
•Pastry brush
•Heavy carving knife

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 680 kcal
fat: 50 g
carbs: 0 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 58 g
calories: 680 kcal

Instructions

1
Pat the suckling pig skin completely dry with kitchen paper.
2
Season the underside meat thoroughly with coarse sea salt and crushed black pepper.
3
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and place a wire rack over a roasting tin.
4
Place the pig skin-side up on the rack to allow dry heat to circulate freely.
5
Roast at 160 degrees C for two hours until the meat is tender and yields easily.
6
Brush the skin evenly with melted lard to assist crisping.
7
Increase the oven temperature to 220 degrees C for fifteen to twenty minutes until the crackling blisters.
8
Line a wooden serving board with half of the fresh myrtle branches.
9
Transfer the hot roast onto the bed of myrtle and cover immediately with the remaining leafy sprigs.
10
Leave the meat to rest covered in myrtle for fifteen minutes so the herbal steam perfumes the pork.
11
Carve into rustic portions with a heavy knife and serve warm.

Chef's tips

Leave the pork uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking so the skin dries completely. Never cook the fresh myrtle at high heat in the oven, as it will burn and turn bitter; let the hot pork rest on raw branches instead.

Ingredient substitutions

Fresh myrtle branches → a combination of fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh bay leaves if myrtle is unavailable
Lard (strutto) → extra virgin olive oil

Storage

Store leftover carved pork in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat uncovered on a wire rack at 200 degrees C until the skin re-crisps and the meat is hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Roasting the meat directly in cooking juices without a rack, which softens the crackling.
•Burning fresh myrtle leaves inside the oven instead of using them as an aromatic resting bed.
•Salting the outer skin too early, which draws moisture to the surface and prevents crisping.

Serving suggestions

Serve directly on wooden boards strewn with fresh myrtle alongside sheets of crisp pane carasau.Pair with a structured Sardinian red wine such as Cannonau di Sardegna.Accompany with crisp raw fennel wedges and bitter seasonal greens.