chinese suckling pig recipe and technique

[origamicrane]

hi guys

just watched a tvb cooking program where they filmed a chef making suckling pig by hand grilling it on an open stove flame.

the guy on the programme has a whole suckling pig on a metal pitch fork and was holding it above a flame and turning it until it was done.

well it looks like a challenge anyone got a recipe and instruction on how to do this?

how to prepare the pig, etc, etc.

thanks in advance

[Gary Soup]

It doesn't sound like something I'd want to try at home. You might start with excercising with barbells to increase the strength and endurance of your forearms

[origamicrane]

well the suckling pig was about the size of a medium chicken so don't think it be too heavy ;)

i tried freshly cooked suckling pig once and it was amazing ;) really crispy skin

yeah probably right not something you would try at home but might just try it with a pieve of pork belly.

[Qing]

Roast Suckling Pig is a very famous Cantonese dish for banquet, especially for wedding and birthday, etc.

In NY Chinatown or Flushing, you could ask all Cantonese Roast meat store to bake one for you. The standard price is about $100 each. Some times they hang one or two with the Roast Ducks and Soy Sauce Chickens.

Next time I will bring one to share with eGullet friends in the New Year's party or whenever.

[Gary Soup]

well the suckling pig was about the size of a medium chicken so don't think it be too heavy ;)

i tried freshly cooked suckling pig once and it was amazing ;) really crispy skin

yeah probably right not something you would try at home but might just try it with a pieve of pork belly.

I thnik they typically run around 8 lbs., enough to tire out my arms after a while. I think I'd just get a jumbo-size George Foreman rotisserie.

[mudbug]

origamicrane,

Was this particularly Chinese?

[origamicrane]

origamicrane,

Was this particularly Chinese?

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yep when it comes to roasting things

no one beats the chinese!!

not even the french!

yeah the suckling pig they were roasting was actually quite big the chef had the pig skewed on a massive metal fork and was i guess barbequing it on an open fire he had a stand to help support the pig.

if you haven't tired this before head down to chinatown to day and ask for it

Edited July 15, 2005 by origamicrane (log)

[mudbug]

yeah the suckling pig they were roasting was actually quite big the chef had the pig skewed on a massive metal fork and was i guess barbequing it on an open fire he had a stand to help support the pig.

if you haven't tired this before head down to chinatown to day and ask for it 

Oh... I've had it.

It's in my top three all-time favorites and will be my last supper. In reading your post, it doesn't say specifically that "they filmed a Chinese chef making suckling pig" so you see why I might ask. Many cultures do this, I was just looking for clarification. I'd also be interested in the title of the program, the network, and the episode title and/or number, and air dates. Better yet, a direct URL with further information.

By the way, be cautious about assuming everyone can head to a Chinatown. Some readers may be in the middle of Kansas or Mississippi. Also, I'm pretty sure a majority of vendors would give a customer a blank stare if they asked for "suckling pig".

Perhaps it would have been better to say something to the effect of:

If you're near a Chinatown, you can usually locate places that sell this because they'll have various cooked meats hanging in their window. To ask for it, the general term is "siu yook" (pronounced seeew yook). But the most specific term would be ["for yuk", or "fired meat". Indeed the pig is literally fired in a tall upright oven wherein the firebricks or flames completely surround the hanging pig/ducks/etc. An animal done this way invariably develops a crispy skin because the fat and moisture drains off in the high, dry heat."] (thanks to Ben Hong)

edited for spelling

Edited July 15, 2005 by mudbug (log)

[chocomoo]

If you're near a Chinatown, you can usually locate places that sell this because they'll have various cooked meats hanging in their window. To ask for it, the general term is "siu yook" (pronounced seeew yook). But the most specific term would be ["for yuk", or "fired meat". (thanks to Ben Hong)

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I was under the impression that "siu yook" (that's the Cantonese pronunciation, by the way) is different from suckling pig. Isn't suckling pig "yue jue" in Cantonese? If so, I believe it's "yue jue" that's commonly eaten during banquets & special occasions.

TVB is a Hong Kong network, by the way, hence implying that it would be a Chinese chef doing the cooking.

[mudbug]

TVB is a Hong Kong network, by the way, hence implying that it would be a Chinese chef doing the cooking.

chocomoo,

That insider information is not common knowledge for those of us who've never heard of it. Thank you for that clarification.

You're right, "siu yook" probably does not mean "suckling pig". "Siu yook" does mean crispy skin roast pork. I doubt any individual will be wanting to buy an entire suckling pig and still think you'd get a blank stare from most vendors in Chinatown if you literally asked for "suckling pig".

As origamicrane mentioned, the crispy skin is amazing, difficult to achieve in the home kitchen and worth going out of your way for. So if anyone asks for siu yook, they'd be asking for what is most likely the best part of the end result of the type of cooking described in the first post.

Thanks for the info on "yue jue". Can you please provide the phonetic/dictionary pronunciation?

[Tepee]

I'm not chocomoo, but here's the pronunciation...

Sounds like the alphabet 'g', but purse your lips longer to have a more pronounced sound for both Yue and Jue. However, for Jue, the sound starts with a cross between 'ch' and 'j'. Yue=suckling Jue=pig

In mandarin pinyin, it would be:

ru3 = suckling

zhu1=pig

HTH.

[Dejah]

chocomoo,

You're right, "siu yook" probably does not mean "suckling pig". "Siu yook" does mean crispy skin roast pork. I doubt any individual will be wanting to buy an entire suckling pig and still think you'd get a blank stare from most vendors in Chinatown if you literally asked for "suckling pig".

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Suckling would indicate that little piggy was small enough to be still at the teat? That would be around 15 lbs? The one my Mom roasted (years ago now) was about 2 feet long (60 cm). It barely fit into the restaurant size oven! The one we ordered for my brother's 60th bday must have been a young adult...It fed a crowd of 100 with the head left over.

Ben mentioned pouring boiling water over the skin to get that crispy texture. I seem to remember Mom rubbing the skin with gan sui - lye water - to get that texture. I remember the skin blistered, had a beautiful colour, and was crispy. Must ask her later.

Great to "see your face", Tepee.

[mudbug]

Suckling would indicate that little piggy was small enough to be still at the teat? That would be around 15 lbs? The one my Mom roasted (years ago now) was about 2 feet long (60 cm). It barely fit into the restaurant size oven! The one we ordered for my brother's 60th bday must have been a young adult...It fed a crowd of 100 with the head left over.

Ben mentioned pouring boiling water over the skin to get that crispy texture. I seem to remember Mom rubbing the skin with gan sui - lye water - to get that texture. I remember the skin blistered, had a beautiful colour, and was crispy. Must ask her later.

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Please do. There is an existing thread with siu yook discussion on technique here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=20297

I have yet to find a technique that yields consistent results in a regular home kitchen.

[hzrt8w]

I was under the impression that "siu yook" (that's the Cantonese pronunciation, by the way) is different from suckling pig.  Isn't suckling pig "yue jue" in Cantonese?  If so, I believe it's "yue jue" that's commonly eaten during banquets & special occasions.

←

Indeed, "Siu Yook" is regular roast pork (literal translation). And "Yue Jue" is roast baby-pigs. Their meat is softer, skin much thinner (thus can become very crispy). "Yue Jue" is much more expensive, pound-for-pound, than "Siu Yook". And thus is "banquet worthy".

I visited a small Chinese temple in Marysville, California during Chinese New Year once. I have never seen so many suckling pigs in one room - it must have been over a dozen of them. Many worshippers bought their suckling pigs from as far as San Francisco or Oakland and brought them to the temple to present to, hmmm, whom? Quun Yum? Of course after all the ceremonies, the suckling pigs ended up in the worshippers' stomachs.

Here is a good pic of a suckling pig to drool over...

http://www.webcreationz.co.uk/image-archiv...crispy-duck.htm

Edited July 18, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Shalmanese]

well it looks like a challenge anyone got a recipe and instruction on how to do this?

how to prepare the pig, etc, etc.

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Well, first, you get a wooden shack...

[origamicrane]

well it looks like a challenge anyone got a recipe and instruction on how to do this?

how to prepare the pig, etc, etc.

←

Well, first, you get a wooden shack...

←

wooden shack?

that for the piggy?

[Dejah]

well it looks like a challenge anyone got a recipe and instruction on how to do this?

how to prepare the pig, etc, etc.

←

Well, first, you get a wooden shack...

←

wooden shack?

that for the piggy?

←

Nope, fuel for the pit

[mudbug]

Nope,  fuel for the pit  

hzrt8w,

I don't know whether to thank you or be angered by sharing that pic. Somewhat mean to make me salivate over something I can't easliy acquire and devour within the near future.

[Shalmanese]

well it looks like a challenge anyone got a recipe and instruction on how to do this?

how to prepare the pig, etc, etc.

←

Well, first, you get a wooden shack...

←

wooden shack?

that for the piggy?

←

It was a reference to this piece of food lore

[hzrt8w]

hzrt8w,

I don't know whether to thank you or be angered by sharing that pic. Somewhat mean to make me salivate over something I can't easliy acquire and devour within the near future.

←

mudbug: would you like to see some more drooling pics like Peking Ducks or squabs?

[mudbug]

mudbug:  would you like to see some more drooling pics like Peking Ducks or squabs? 

Ok. Torture me some more.

I'm ready.

[hzrt8w]

  Ok. Torture me some more. 

I'm ready. 

←

Here is a good one on Peking duck:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Epicure/Rise...2815699633.html

Here is a good one on Squab:

http://tamtam-hk.hp.infoseek.co.jp/menu/roasthato.htm

Aimed to please.

[mudbug]

hzrt8w,

Gonna be hard to beat your initial pic and top yourself. First duck looks polyurethaned - a little to pretty for me. And I'm the crispy skin fan... that didn't look crispy. Second pic not close-up enough.

Whew! That was easier than I thought!

Take a gander at this one (no pun intended):

http://www.shangrila.lv/Images/Menu/Menu/4...ing-duckBIG.gif

[Dejah]

Just got back from question Mom on the suckling pig , or siu yook.

She makes sure the skin is free of any hairs, then using an ice pick (seriously dangerous woman!) she punctures the skin side. Then she rubs lye water (gan sui) all over the skin surface. On the meat side, she rubs in a mixture of mean see (brown bean sauce), hoisin sauce, 5 spice powder and cloves of minced garlic. The meat is left to marinate for several hours. (We are talking a slab of pork belly here)

When it's time to cook it, the oven is cranked up to 400. She used a commercial roaster, or you can use any pan with sides what the meat will fit into. She puts some oil into the pan, let it heat up real hot, then lays the meat skin side down into the oil. Becareful as the oil will splatter as soon as the meat touches it. This plus the lye water will make the skin crispy.

If the meat is about 3 inches thick, she said it will take about " bat gaw jee" 40 minutes.

[sheetz]

I've used this recipe for siu yuk with success.