January 30, 2011

Not for the faint of heart

Another Castillan gastronomic legacy beloved of Manileños: cochinillo asado. Also known as lechon de leche or, in English, roast suckling pig, it is so succulent and tender, it can be cut with a plate. Casa Armas Tapas Bar y Restaurante, which has four restaurants in the metro, has a specially-made box for it so people can bring it home.

cochinillo from Casa Armas Tapas Bar y Restaurante

12 comments:

  1. Chattahoochee Valley DailyJanuary 30, 2011 at 7:42 AM

    I thought the 'suckling' part meant that it was a young pig. I guess it has to be small to get it in a box. I am sure it is tasty.

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  2. HildaJanuary 30, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    Barb:
    You're correct, it's still a suckling piglet.

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  3. GeorgeJanuary 30, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    I've heard these are delicious. I'm not sure I'm up to trying one.

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  4. alexJanuary 30, 2011 at 1:30 PM

    it's always interesting to me to see meat presented as a "whole animal", and, of course, it being a young piglet adds another layer of unease. on the other hand, most people would eat pork chops or bacon without a thought.

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  5. Rob SiemannJanuary 30, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    Oh yes, plenty of them around here as well, even though it's called catalan cochinillo, never castillan (bad insult).

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  6. KaoriJanuary 30, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    Hmm, if that came out on my plate I would probably scream! But then I'm a vegetarian so what do I know? :-D

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  7. HildaJanuary 30, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    Rob:
    When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, it was the time of the Crown of Castille. Most of us still call the Spanish "Kastila" because of that.

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  8. arabesqueJanuary 30, 2011 at 11:41 PM

    yummy hilds, you're making my stomach churn and it's almost midnight! ^0^

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  9. Leif HagenJanuary 31, 2011 at 2:16 AM

    Looks like a succulent dinner! I wonder what the side dishes would be?
    Cheers, Hilda!

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  10. LowellJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    I think I shall not show this to Lois Anne. She's a dedicated vegetarian... :-)

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  11. FranciscaFebruary 1, 2011 at 7:45 PM

    Don't eat a lot of meat, but a good lechon is masarap. I usually go for the unhealthiest part: the crispy skin!

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  12. ABFebruary 7, 2011 at 6:08 AM

    I remember having one of these for a Christmas dinner in Spain. Delicious!

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