Of course this chart represents a full grown pig, but lets not forget about suckling pig, which when done properly, may be the best tasting thing known to man. The people of Spain quite possibly make the best version. I have had it in Madrid at the world's oldest operating restaurant, Restaurante Botin, which has been serving suckling pig since 1725 and they do it very well.
The skin is super crispy and the meat melts in your mouth. You definitely need a reservation for this place, as people come from around the world to eat here. Around our table there were Germans, Japanese, as well as local Madrilenos. As good as Madrid pig may be, a short train ride to Segovia will reward you with the best suckling pig in Spain. These puppies are fed only mother's milk for 21 days prior to being thrown in the oven and crisped up. Some people may feel a little guilty eating a baby, until they taste it.
With colder weather approaching I need to make some pulled pork. Here is a nice recipe:
It uses a vinegar based sauce, which I think goes best with the pork. Any left over shredded pork freezes very well for months. When it comes out of the oven it looks a little like this:
Ripping off a few pieces of the outside crusty bits, even without sauce is amazing. I could easily have a food blog that only concentrates on the "Wonderful World of Pork". I have a strong belief that if Muslims and observant Jews all ate pork, they would get along much better.
