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1
Brine Overnight
12 Hrs
Cold, about 4°C (40°F)
Dissolve the 120 g of coarse salt in the 8000 ml of water in a large clean tub. Put the dressed piglet in, turn it so it is covered as much as possible, and leave it in a cool place or a large fridge overnight, or for at least 12 hours. Turn it once halfway through if you can.
Weigh the piglet down with a clean plate if it floats — every part should spend time in the brine.
Done when: Piglet fully submerged in cold, salty water, kept cold all night.
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2
Open the Piglet and Mount the Cross
30 Mins
Room temperature
Lift the piglet out of the brine and pat it dry inside and out. Open it flat: dislocate the legs, spread the hind legs open like a book, and split the ribs from the spine so the piglet lies flat and the salt and seasoning can get in everywhere. Rub the cavity with the crushed garlic and chopped coriander. Tie the piglet firmly to the iron cross with wire, legs spread, so it cannot slip or fall during the long roast.
Tie it tight — a piglet that slips halfway through a six-hour roast is very hard to rescue.
Done when: Piglet lying flat on the cross, firmly wired, skin side out.
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3
Build the Fire and Start Roasting
30 Mins
Embers, about 150°C (300°F)
Build a wood fire and let it burn down to embers — you want steady heat, not flames. Set the cross upright about 70 to 80 cm from the embers, bone side facing the fire first. Meanwhile, boil the 2900 g of potatoes in their skins until tender, and boil the mote until tender, then drain both and keep warm.
Embers, not flames — flames scorch the skin black long before the inside is cooked.
Done when: A bed of glowing embers with no flames licking the meat.
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4
Roast Low and Slow, Bone Side First
4 Hrs
Low embers, about 150°C (300°F)
Roast the piglet bone side to the fire for about 4 hours, turning the cross now and then — front, back, head up, head down — so it cooks evenly. Mix the 330 ml of beer, 60 ml of lemon juice and 60 ml of oil, and brush the meat with it every 20 minutes or so. Keep the fire steady, feeding it a little wood at a time.
Turn little and often, and never let the fire flare — a steady, low heat is what makes the meat tender.
Done when: Meat pulling back from the bones and a deep, even colour on the bone side.
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5
Turn, Baste and Crisp the Skin
1 Hr
Embers, about 180°C (350°F)
Turn the cross so the skin side faces the fire for the last hour, moving it a little closer to the embers. Keep basting with the beer, lemon and oil mix. The skin should turn deep gold and crisp like crackling. Check the thickest part of the shoulder and the thigh with a meat thermometer — it must reach at least 71°C (160°F) all the way through before you take it off the fire.
If the skin is pale near the end, brush it with a little oil and give it a few more minutes close to the embers.
Done when: Deep-golden, crackling skin and meat at 71°C (160°F) in the thickest part.
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6
Rest, Carve and Serve
30 Mins
Hot, about 65°C (150°F)
Take the cross off the fire and let the piglet rest for 30 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, slice the 800 g of tomatoes and 300 g of onions, dress with the 5 g of salt, 15 g of vinegar and 15 g of oil, and set out the llajwa. Carve the piglet into generous slices and pile each plate with pork, mote, a boiled potato and salad.
Rest the meat before carving — cut it straight off the fire and the juices run out onto the board.
Done when: Juicy carved pork with crackling skin, served hot with mote, potato and salad.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Carve the piglet straight from the cross into generous slices, skin and all, and pile each plate with mote, a boiled potato and tomato-onion salad, with llajwa on the side.
Bolivia
2h 25m
