Leitão da Bairrada

Portugal's PGI-protected suckling-pig roast — the signature dish of the Bairrada region in central Portugal. The whole young pig (typically 6 to 8 kilograms, slaughtered at four to six weeks) is butterflied, seasoned with garlic, lard, salt, and white pepper, and roasted on a wood-fired clay-oven spit for two to three hours until the skin crackles into a glassy, paper-thin crust. Served sliced into quarters, traditionally with sparkling Bairrada wine, *batatas fritas em fatias finas* (paper-thin chips), and orange slices to cut the richness. Distinct from Spanish *cochinillo de Segovia* and Italian *porchetta* — different breed, different seasoning, different oven tradition.