Gourmet Dishes Made From a Pig

Roasting a pig is a lot like roasting a turkey.

People from many cultures delight in claiming the pig as “their” specialty dish. From Cuba to Greece and many places in between, cooks revel in roasting pig on outdoor spits, charcoal grills and even in an oven. If you think it can’t be done, think about that big Thanksgiving turkey, which rivals the size of many small pigs you can purchase from your butcher. In Cuba, pig is served on New Year’s Day while Greeks enjoy pig at many family celebrations. Learn how to make a gourmet pig dish and watch it become one of your very own specialty dishes. Does this Spark an idea?

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8 cups fruit juices (your choice)
10-pound pig
Roasting pan
Fresh fruit
Toothpicks
Honey
Cinnamon sugar
Sea salt
Greek oregano
Cracked black peppercorns
Lemon slices
Dried mint
Thyme
Basil
Dried marjoram
Dried minced onion
Minced garlic

Instructions

Fruit-Flavored Cuban Gourmet Piglet
- 1
  
  Mix about 8 cups of a fruit marinade containing oranges, limes, cranberry juice or any combination of your favorite fruit drinks. Taste the fruit mix first to ensure the flavors blend well. Then add a bit of minced garlic, oregano and salt, to taste.
- 2
  
  Place the pig in a snug-fitting container, such as a crockpot. Pour about 3/4 of the marinade over the pig, cover it and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
- 3
  
  Heat your oven to 300 degrees and drain the marinade.
- 4
  
  Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray and put the pig, belly side down, into the pan. Cover the pig’s back with an assortment of fruit wedges, such as oranges, bananas, peaches, cherries and pineapple. Attach the fruit with toothpicks or cover the pig with a thin layer of honey and then press the fruit wedges onto the pig’s back. Sprinkle the pig and the fruit with a bit of cinnamon sugar.
- 5
  
  Cover the pig’s snout, ears and tail with aluminum foil. Place the roaster in the oven and cook for about 4 1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted in a thick region registers 180 degrees. Baste the pig about every hour with the remaining fruit juice.
- 6
  
  Make a Cuban mojito sauce for your pig by combining olive oil, lime juice, garlic and oregano.
- 7
  
  In Hawaii, pigs are often covered with banana leaves and cooked over a coal fire.
  
  Let the pig rest for about 20 minutes before carving. Serve your gourmet pig with the mojito sauce, rice and bowls of fruit for dipping.
Greek Islands Gourmet Piglet
- 8
  
  Make a rub for your Greek pig by combining sea salt, Greek oregano (found in specialty food shops) and black peppercorns.
- 9
  
  Cover the pig with a light layer of olive oil, then press the oregano rub onto the pig’s flesh.
- 10
  
  Set up a charcoal grill or a spit to cook the pig outdoors. Turn the pig every 30 minutes and generously baste with olive oil. Cover the pig with lemon slices.
- 11
  
  Make a Greek seasoning mix consisting of dried oregano, dried mint, thyme flakes, dried basil flakes, dried marjoram, dried minced onion and minced garlic. Press this into the pig the last 30 minutes of cooking time. The pig should take about 4 hours to cook, but test it with a meat thermometer. It should register at about 180 degrees.
- 12
  
  Greeks often serve pig at Easter, with Easter bread.
  
  Let the pig rest for about 20 minutes before carving. The outside of the pig will be dark brown, but the inside should be white – and juicy. Serve your gourmet Greek pig with Greek-fried potatoes or Greek pasta salad and batter-fried zucchini or eggplant, both of which are Greek favorites.