Spanish · Castile · main

Cochinillo Asado de Segovia

Cochinillo Asado de Segovia reads richness 7.9, umami 6.5 and sourness 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Spanish · Castile main, about 3 hr 27 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 8.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.9 · Umami 6.5 · Sourness 4.7 · Allium 4.3 · Salinity 3.7 · Fruity 3.0 · Citrus 2.9 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Floral 1.9 · Bitterness 1.4 · Earthy 1.3 · Sweetness 1.2 · Warm Spice 1.0 · Nutty 0.5

What's in it (9)

• suckling pig — 4500 g
• pork lard — 200 g
• water — 500 g
• garlic — 16 g
• bay leaf — 1 g
• salt — 30 g
• fresh thyme — 3 g
• dry white wine — 100 g
• white wine vinegar — 20 g

Time & effort: about 3 hr 27 min (3 hr 17 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 36 kcal, 0 g protein, 3.7 g fat, 0.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

1. Segovia's cochinillo is famous for being carved with the edge of a plate, and that test is the whole point: the skin has to be brittle as glass and the meat so soft that a plate rim goes through it. A suckling pig of about three weeks, still on milk, is the only animal that does this. Order it from a butcher a week ahead and ask for it split and cleaned.
2. The night before, rub the pig inside and out with the coarse salt, then leave it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for at least an hour and ideally overnight. Dry skin is the precondition for crisp skin.
3. Heat the oven to 160C (320F). Combine the water, crushed garlic, bay, thyme and wine in a deep roasting tin — traditionally an unglazed earthenware barro dish, which holds heat gently and is worth buying if you make this twice.
4. Lay the pig skin side DOWN in the liquid. Roast 90 minutes. It looks wrong and it is right: the flesh braises in the aromatic steam while the skin stays out of the direct heat, and this is where the tenderness comes from.
5. Turn the pig skin side up. Prick the skin all over with a fork, brush it with the softened lard mixed with the vinegar, and raise the oven to 200C (390F). Roast 40 minutes more, basting twice, until the skin is deep amber and audibly crackles when you tap it. If any patch is stubbornly pale, move the tin so that part faces the back of the oven.
6. Rest 10 minutes only — a long rest softens the skin again. Carve by pressing straight down with the edge of a plate, into quarters and then into pieces, and serve with nothing but the pan juices skimmed of fat, a green salad and bread.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Poulet au Vinaigre — French · Lyon
• Skillet Lamb Chops with Garlic and Rosemary — American
• Albóndigas en Salsa — Spanish
• Greek Braised Lamb and Orzo One-Pot — Greek
• Veal Piccata — Italian-American

Keep reading: what richness, umami, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.