Name: Porceddu arrosto
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h 10 min
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Cuisine: Italian, Sardinian
Ingredients: 2.5 kg skin-on suckling pig portion, quarter, saddle or large bone-in section; 22 g fine sea salt, about 0.9% of meat weight; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, mainly on the meat side; 12–15 fresh myrtle leaves, plus sprigs for serving if available; 2 sprigs rosemary, optional; 1 tbsp lard or extra-virgin olive oil, for the meat side only

Porceddu arrosto: wide hero view of carved pieces of slow-roasted suckling pig with browned crisp skin arranged on a rustic platter

Prep25 minutes

Cook3 h 10 min

Total4 h 5 min

Yield8 servings

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The dish

About Porceddu arrosto

Traditional Sardinian porceddu is cooked slowly on a spit near steady embers, a method that gradually renders fat while drying and crisping the skin. Myrtle is associated with the serving and aroma of the dish.

A household oven cannot reproduce the exact live-fire character, so this version is explicitly a home-scale interpretation using a skin-on suckling-pig portion. Low roasting tenderises the meat and renders the skin; a final high-heat stage supplies the crackling finish.

Dry skin is essential. Salting in advance and leaving the skin uncovered in the refrigerator removes surface moisture more effectively than adding more fat or higher heat at the beginning.

The roast needs a rest, but the skin should not be tented tightly with foil because trapped steam quickly softens the crackling. Rest the meat in a warm place with the skin exposed.

Technique

Three things that matter

Dry the skin overnight. Surface moisture is the enemy of crisp crackling; refrigeration uncovered is highly effective.
Roast gently first. Moderate heat renders fat and tenderises the meat before the final crisping stage.
Use temperature, not colour alone. Suckling-pig cuts vary in thickness, so verify doneness in the thickest meat away from bone.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Pig

2.5 kgskin-on suckling pig portionquarter, saddle or large bone-in section
22 gfine sea saltabout 0.9% of meat weight
1 tspblack pepperfreshly ground, mainly on the meat side

Aromatics

12–15fresh myrtle leavesplus sprigs for serving if available
2 sprigsrosemaryoptional
1 tbsplard or extra-virgin olive oilfor the meat side only

Step by step

Method

Dry and season

Dry the pig thoroughly. Pat the skin and meat completely dry. Score only if the butcher has not already done so, taking care not to cut deeply into the flesh.
The skin surface should feel dry rather than damp or sticky.
Salt ahead. Rub salt over the skin and meat side and pepper mainly on the flesh. Set skin-side up on a rack, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 8–24 hours.
The skin should look dry and slightly taut after chilling.
Prepare for roasting. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 160°C conventional. Rub the meat side lightly with lard or oil and place myrtle and rosemary beneath or around the meat, not over the skin.
Nothing wet should cover the skin.

Slow roast

Roast skin-side up. Roast for about 2 1/2 hours, rotating the tray once. If drippings threaten to burn, add a small splash of water to the tray without wetting the skin.
Fat should render steadily and the meat should become tender while the skin colours gradually.
Check doneness. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest meat away from bone. Continue roasting until it reaches at least 74°C for this home method and the meat feels tender.
Juices should run clear and the thickest meat should be fully cooked.

Crisp and rest

Increase the heat. Raise the oven to 230°C and roast 15–25 minutes until the skin is deeply browned and crisp. Watch continuously during the final minutes.
The skin should sound hard and crackly when tapped with a knife handle.
Rest uncovered. Transfer to a board and rest 25–30 minutes with the skin exposed to the air.
The skin should remain crisp rather than soften from trapped steam.
Carve and serve. Cut through the joints into serving pieces and arrange with fresh myrtle sprigs if available.
Each portion should include a piece of crisp skin and tender meat.

Practical guidance

Traditional method

The canonical Sardinian preparation is slow spit-roasting beside embers. The oven method here is a practical domestic adaptation, not a claim to reproduce live-fire flavour exactly.

Myrtle

Fresh myrtle is aromatic and traditional but can be difficult to source outside the Mediterranean. If unavailable, omit rather than replacing it with a strongly flavoured herb that changes the dish.

Butcher preparation

Ask a knowledgeable butcher for a suitable skin-on suckling-pig section and for guidance on bone structure before cooking.

Troubleshooting

The skin is leathery. It remained damp or never received enough final heat. Dry uncovered overnight and finish at high heat only after the meat is cooked.
The skin burns before the meat is tender. The oven was too hot during the long phase. Roast moderately, then crisp only at the end.
The meat is dry. The portion was lean or overcooked. Use a bone-in skin-on section and monitor internal temperature rather than relying only on time.
The crackling softens during the rest. It was tightly covered. Rest with the skin exposed.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: about 250 g cooked meat and skin
Calories: approximately 690 kcal
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Protein: 55 g
Fat: 51 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: 980 mg

Suckling-pig fat content varies substantially by cut; values are approximate.

Allergens and food safety

Raw pork requires strict separation from ready-to-eat foods, clean utensils and thorough hand washing.

For this home-scale method, verify at least 74°C in the thickest meat away from bone before the final rest.

Refrigerate cooked pork within 2 hours and reheat leftovers thoroughly.

FAQ

Is porceddu always cooked on a spit?

Traditional Sardinian porceddu is strongly associated with slow spit-roasting by embers; this recipe uses a home oven because that method is more accessible and controllable indoors.

Does myrtle go on the skin while roasting?

It is better kept beneath or around the meat so moisture does not prevent the skin from crisping. Fresh myrtle can also perfume the serving platter.

Why is the skin dried overnight?

Evaporating surface moisture before roasting makes it much easier to achieve brittle, crisp crackling.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Tender suckling-pig meat with deeply browned, brittle crackling and a subtle Mediterranean aromatic profile.
Key: Dry the skin thoroughly, roast gently until the meat is done, then use a short high-heat finish for crackling.