Foods to Eat in Spain - Castille y León (Segovia) & Madrid

- El Cochinillo Asado -

El Cochinillo Asado, or roast suckling pig, is dish originally from Segovia, in Castille but is now popular in the neighbouring regions of Aragon and Madrid also. This dish was introduced to Spanish cuisine when the Roman's invaded and conquered vast swathes of Spain, however, it only really became popular in the 17th Century as it was no longer a dish reserved for the rich and royal.

El Cochinillo Asado is prepared by placing the suckling pig in an earthenware dish and is often decorated (with a apple placed in its mouth for example) before roasting it whole in a wood (often oak) burning oven. When I first saw this dish, it somewhat humorously reminded me of the feasts drawn in Asterix and Obelix (though that is set in modern day France, and not Spain).

The whole pig is then normally carved table side into smaller portions as that ensures it is still hot and serves as a point of theatrics. One of the best features of this dish is the crisp, crackly skin (akin to pork crackling if you're from the UK) which contrasts with the moist and flavourful meat underneath and pairs well with wine (a Riesling or Rhône perhaps).

When trying El Cochinillo Asado, there is no better place than Segovia, located within an easy day trip of Madrid (only 30 mins by train). Once there, you should consider heading to Meson de Cándido, which boasts a impressive history all the way back to the 15th Century where the original house was converted to a Segovian style inn. It then rose in fame in the 20th Century when the head chef Cándido López, popularised Segovian Cuisine and with it, brought the dish, El Cochinillo Asado out of obscurity and into one of the most popular regional dishes. Meson de Cándido also specialises in other roasted meats such as roast chicken which also tastes divine and is worth trying.

If you are in Madrid (or cannot get to the source, Segovia), there is one restaurant that immediately jumps to mind, Sobrino de Botín. It was founded in 1725 and is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. Their roast suckling pig is still cooked in the traditional Moorish designed, oak-burning oven and is roasted at a lower temperature, which is said to improved the tenderness and smokey flavour of the meat due to the longer cooking times.

Overall, El Cochinillo Asado is perhaps one of my top 10 favourite dishes from Spain as there is so much flavour packed into the meat and is a dish that you would be hard pressed to recreate at home (unlike many others) as it doesn't taste nearly as good without cooking it in a proper wood chip oven, ones which only professional restaurants have.