Roast Stuffed Sucking Pig à l’Anglaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Full-size roasting pan, at least 18 by 13 inches (46 by 33 cm)
• •Heavy roasting rack that fits inside the pan
• •Digital probe or instant-read thermometer
• •Trussing needle and food-safe butcher's twine
• •Sturdy kitchen shears and carving knife
• •Medium saucepan for the onions and apple sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the pig

   Confirm that the pig fits your roasting pan and oven before anything else. Set it on a rack, blot the cavity and skin repeatedly, then prick the skin all over with a clean trussing needle without driving the point into the meat. Leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or under a cool kitchen fan for 45 to 60 minutes if cooking entirely this evening. The surface should feel dry rather than tacky. If it still clings to your fingers, blot it again and wait another 20 minutes; the clock can wait, wet skin cannot be persuaded into good crackling.

   Ask the butcher to remove every trace of hair and to leave the belly opening neat enough to stitch. Singeing stray bristles in the home kitchen gives the pork an acrid smell.
2. 2

   Prepare the farce

   Put the unpeeled onions in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, and simmer until a skewer passes through their centres without resistance, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and cool them, then peel and chop them finely. If the chopped onions shed a puddle, let them drain in a sieve for 10 minutes. Parboil the sage leaves for 1 minute, drain, cool, squeeze them thoroughly, and chop them. Soak soft white bread in cold water for 5 minutes, then press it firmly in a clean towel and weigh out 4 ounces (113 g) of the pressed crumb.

3. 3

   Mix the farce

   Combine all the cooked onion with the chopped beef kidney suet, pressed breadcrumb, sage, beaten half egg, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until evenly bound but still loose, without kneading it into a paste. The farce should hold together when squeezed and fall apart under a spoon. If it looks wet enough to flow, chill it for 15 minutes rather than adding more bread, which would change the source ratio. Let it become completely cold before it enters the pig.

4. 4

   Stuff and stitch

   Fill the cavity evenly with the cold farce, leaving it loose enough for heat to move through it. Bring the belly edges together and stitch them securely with butcher's twine at roughly 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals. If the cavity is smaller than expected, stop before packing it tight; put any extra farce in a small covered baking dish and cook it beside the pig until its centre reaches 165°F (74°C). Tuck the legs into a stable crouch, pat the skin dry once more, and rub it evenly with the exterior salt.

5. 5

   Roast without basting

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C), or 300°F (150°C) with a fan, with a shelf in the lower third. Place the pig belly-seam down on a sturdy rack set inside the roasting pan. Add enough hot water beneath the rack to keep the drippings from burning, without letting the water touch the pig. Roast for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the pan front to back once. Shield the ears, snout, and tail with small pieces of foil as soon as they bronze. Do not baste the skin. Basting helps meat but ruins crackling, and this young pig carries enough fat to look after itself.

6. 6

   Finish the crackling

   Test the centre of the farce and the thickest parts of the ham and shoulder without touching bone. The farce must reach 165°F (74°C), while the pork must pass 145°F (63°C). If the skin is already dark before the farce is safe, cover only those dark patches loosely with foil and continue at the lower heat. Once the temperatures are correct, raise the oven to 475°F (245°C) and roast for 10 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan as needed, until the skin is taut, blistered, and crisp under a light tap. If a pale or flexible patch remains, shield the finished areas and return the pig to the hot oven in 5-minute intervals. Ça se rattrape.

   Trust the thermometer more than the clock. A stuffed whole animal heats unevenly, and colour alone cannot tell you whether the centre of the farce is safe.
7. 7

   Make apple sauce

   During the final hour of roasting, put the apples and 1/4 cup water in a covered saucepan. Cook over gentle heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit collapses. Uncover and beat it into a coarse, sharp purée. If it is watery, simmer uncovered until it mounds softly on the spoon; if it is too stiff, loosen it with a spoonful of water. For the source's optional variation, swell the raisins in tepid water for 20 minutes, drain them well, and fold them into the sauce. The quantity preserves its ratio of 4 ounces of raisins for 1 pound of apples.

8. 8

   Rest and carve

   Transfer the pig to its serving platter and rest it uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. Foil over the skin traps moisture, so leave the crackling exposed. Remove every stitch, open the belly, and spoon the farce into a warm serving dish. Detach the legs at their joints, then cut the loin and rib sections into manageable portions with a carving knife and sturdy shears. Pass the apple sauce separately so each guest can take it without softening the skin. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Measure the oven, roasting pan, and doorway before ordering the pig. Ask for a dressed animal between 6 and 8 pounds, with the belly opened neatly, the skin scraped clean, and the head and feet left on. A larger pig defeats the home-scale purpose and may not fit.
• •Beef kidney suet is the source's fat, not an eccentric substitute for butter. It melts through the farce while leaving the breadcrumb loose and rich. Ask a butcher for fresh suet and chop it cold; packaged shredded suet containing flour changes the texture.
• •The source also permits mashed potatoes instead of apple sauce. This version follows the apple branch, including the optional raisins, and serves it apart. Choose one accompaniment, not both.
• •A dry Loire Chenin Blanc has enough freshness for the apple and enough body for the pork. A light Beaujolais also works, served cool rather than cold.
• •Within 2 hours of carving, remove any remaining farce from the cavity and refrigerate it separately from the pork in shallow containers. Both keep for up to 3 days and should be reheated thoroughly.

Advance Preparation

• •Arrange the pig with a butcher several days ahead and provide the maximum dimensions your oven can accept. A small dressed pig is a special order in many markets.
• •For the driest skin, leave the cleaned pig uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator overnight. The same-evening method works if it is blotted meticulously and given a full hour of cool moving air.
• •The onions, sage, and pressed breadcrumb can be prepared earlier the same day and chilled separately. Mix and insert the farce only shortly before roasting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 685g)