Cochon de Lait
intro
Tender, juicy slow-roasted suckling pig with shatteringly crisp, spiced skin, wood-smoked low and slow over coals for a showstopping, shareable backyard feast.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and air-dry pig
Remove the 3.6kg dressed, skin-on suckling pig from packaging, pat completely dry inside and out with paper towels. Set the pig on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours to air-dry the skin for optimal crispness. Pull the pig out 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature (18°C/65°F).
Mix Cajun spice rub
In a medium glass bowl, combine 6 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper, 3 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon dried thyme. Stir until fully evenly blended, then set aside 2 tablespoons of the mix to season the pig’s internal cavity.
Season and truss pig
Rub the entire outer skin of the room-temperature pig with 60ml vegetable oil, then massage the bulk of the spice blend evenly over every inch of the skin. Toss the 300g chopped yellow onion, 200g chopped celery, 60g crushed fresh garlic, and reserved 2 tablespoons of spice rub together, then stuff the mixture firmly into the pig’s abdominal cavity. Tie the front and back legs tightly to a metal rotisserie spit with heavy kitchen twine, balancing the pig evenly for smooth rotation; prop the mouth open with a crumpled 5cm ball of aluminum foil to allow internal airflow.
Preheat rotisserie grill
Prepare an outdoor charcoal rotisserie grill for indirect cooking: light 2kg of charcoal briquettes, and once coals are coated in light gray ash (about 20 minutes), add 1kg of pecan or hickory wood chunks for smoke. Adjust the top and bottom vents to stabilize the grill’s internal temperature at 135°C/275°F, then set a metal drip pan filled with 500ml water directly under the spot where the pig will rotate to catch drippings and maintain moist heat.
Slow roast the pig
Mount the trussed pig on the rotisserie, set the motor to spin slowly (2-3 rotations per minute), and close the grill lid. Roast for 5 hours, maintaining a consistent 135°C/275°F grill temperature, adding 500g of extra charcoal every 90 minutes as needed to hold steady heat. Baste the entire skin with 120ml apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes during cooking to build tangy flavor and encourage crisping. The meat is tender when the thickest part of the shoulder reads 88°C/190°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Crisp skin and rest
After 5 hours of slow roasting, open the grill vents fully to raise the internal grill temperature to 205°C/400°F. Continue rotating the pig for 25-30 minutes, watching closely, until the skin is deep mahogany-gold, puffed, and shatteringly crisp, shifting coals away from any spots that start to char too quickly. Carefully remove the pig from the spit, transfer to a large wooden cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for 30 minutes to let juices redistribute. Replace the foil mouth prop with a whole 150g apple for classic garnish before carving.
Tips
2.Always cook the pig over indirect heat for the slow roast phase: direct flame under the pig will burn the skin to ash long before the thick shoulder meat becomes tender enough to pull from the bone.
3.Stay within arm’s reach of the grill during the high-heat crisping phase: skin can go from perfectly golden and crisp to blackened and bitter in as little as 2 minutes at 205°C/400°F.
OMG y’all, I made this for our annual family crawfish boil post-feast and everyone lost their minds! The skin was perfectly crispy, the Cajun rub had just the right kick without being overwhelming, even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds. SO good, already got 3 people begging for the recipe. Worth every minute of the 5.5 hour cook time, no lie!
Tasted incredible, but I ran into a little issue with the rub sliding off halfway through the roast when I basted it. Any tips for getting that seasoning to stick better? Flavor was 10/10 though, served it at my neighborhood potluck and folks were raving, just want to nail the texture next time.
Game changer! I was nervous to tackle this since it’s marked hard, but the step by step instructions were so clear. I shredded the leftover meat and froze it for po’ boys and tacos all week, it held up perfectly. My husband said it’s better than the cochon de lait we had at that Cajun festival in New Orleans last year!
Taste was great but wow, this is definitely a weekend project. I tried to cram it in after class on a weeknight and ended up eating dinner at 10pm, oops. Don’t make my mistake, block off the full time for this one, no shortcuts.
I made this for my son’s high school graduation party and it was the star of the spread! We had 40 people over and there was barely a handful of meat left. The garlic and paprika in the rub pairs so well with the creamy coleslaw I served on the side, chef’s kiss.
Loved the recipe overall, but I wish there was a note on how to adjust the heat level! I added extra cayenne like I usually do for Cajun food and it was a little too hot for my in-laws who can’t handle spice. Next time I’ll cut the cayenne in half for groups, ha.
Ran this on my offset smoker at 275 instead of the oven and it came out absolutely perfect. Took an extra 45 minutes but the smoke ring was chef’s kiss, didn’t even need extra sauce. Will be adding this to my regular rotation for summer cookouts.
I hate to leave a low rating but I completely messed up the crispy skin part. It was rubbery and chewy no matter how long I left it in, even when I cranked the heat at the end like the recipe said. What did I do wrong? I was so excited for this :(
Brought this to our office potluck and I swear, people were coming up to me for the rest of the work week talking about it. The meat was so fall-apart tender, I didn’t even need a knife to pull it apart. 10/10, will be making this for every big event from now on.
I grew up going to cochon de lait roasts in Cajun country every fall, and this recipe tastes exactly like what my grandpa used to make. The rub ratio is spot on, no weird extra ingredients that don’t belong. Made me so nostalgic, I teared up a little when I took my first bite.
Tasted amazing, but heads up for anyone shopping on a budget — sourcing the suckling pig was way more expensive at my local grocery store than I expected. I ended up going to a local butcher and got a way better price, so call around before you buy! Flavor was 10/10, just a heads up on cost.
Made this for my anniversary dinner with my partner (we both love Cajun food) and they were so impressed, they thought I ordered it from a fancy restaurant! I paired it with roasted sweet potatoes and a bourbon pecan pie for dessert, perfect cozy night in. Even though it’s hard difficulty, the steps are easy to follow if you take your time.
Obsessed with how versatile this is! I used the leftover bones to make a rich pork stock that I used for gumbo a few days later, and it was the best gumbo I’ve ever made. Don’t throw those bones out, people! That’s free flavor right there.
Super rich and flavorful, just a heads up that a little goes a long way! I ate way too big of a portion first serving and was in a food coma for like 3 hours after, ha. Worth it though, no regrets. Paired great with a light green salad to cut the richness.
Taste was great but I have a tiny apartment oven, and the full size suckling pig was way too big to fit on my roasting pan. I had to cut it in half to make it work, which added extra prep time. Any tips for people with smaller ovens?
I made this for our Christmas dinner last year (yes I’m late leaving a review, oops) and it’s been the talk of every family gathering since! My uncle who is a professional Cajun chef asked for the recipe, that’s how you know it’s good. The crispy skin bits are my favorite part, I could eat those as a snack all day.