Slow-Roasted Suckling Pig

Nixtamalized Butternut Squash, Pickled Almonds, and Squash Seed Horchata

Chef René González of Imperfecto | Washington, D.C.

For Chef René González of Imperfecto, creating a butternut squash dish starts with the shape. He decided to do a line cut, so the base of the squash, from top to bottom, is preserved. He then nixtamalizes the slice so, even after it’s confited in a winter-spiced syrup, the squash maintains its form and achieves a slight minerality. “Then we turned all the seeds and all the [squash] meat that is attached to the seeds into a horchata sauce,” says González. But rather than being blended with cinnamon and sugar, the horchata sauce is unsweetened and made with toasted basmati rice, garlic, smoky ancho chile, and the reserved squash seeds and meat. A small pile of punchy pickled almonds sits in the belly of the squash. “When you combine the sweetness of the squash and the pickled almonds, you get a toasty flavor. It balances everything really well.” It’s all accompanied by a juicy, dry-aged, slow-roasted suckling pig. “Our restaurant is [Mediterranean-inspired Latin American], so we are used to combining sweet, savory, and sour,” says González. “With the squash, we found a link to those flavors.

Adapted by StarChefs | March 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Pork Rub: 
Yield: 310 grams
200 grams salt 
100 grams dark brown sugar 
5 grams guajillo chile powder 
5 grams pimentón de la vera 

Suckling Pig:
Yield: 16 portions
2 suckling pigs, butchered into front and back legs 

Pork Jus: 
Yield: 2 quarts
2 pounds halved white onions
1 pound carrots 
1 pound leeks 
1 pound celery 
10 cloves garlic
2 pounds pork feet 
2 bottles red wine 
8 bay leaves 
10 grams thyme 
20 grams epazote 
250 grams cocoa paste 
2 long peppers 
1 star anise 
4 grams coriander 
4 grams black pepper 
Salt 

Chile de Árbol Sauce: 
Yield: 2 quarts
100 grams chile de árbol 
1 liter white vinegar
15 grams salt 
2 makrut lime leaves 

Pickled Almonds: 
Yield: 19 servings
1 quart sugar 
500 milliliters Champagne vinegar 
5 tablespoon salt 
725 grams slivered almonds, toasted

Toasted Rice Milk: 
Yield: 5 liters
6 cups basmati rice 

Simple Syrup:
Yield: 3 quarts
2 quarts sugar 
1 teaspoon cardamom 
1 teaspoon allspice 
1 teaspoon clove 
4 long peppers
3 cinnamon sticks 
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt

Nixtamalized Butternut Squash:
Yield: 8 servings
60 grams cal (slaked lime)
1 butternut squash, skin and seeds removed removed and reserved, sliced into long sections

Squash Seed Horchata: 
Yield 1 ½ quarts
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 ½ tablespoons salt, plus more to season
2 ancho chiles, seeds removed
13 grams garlic, blanched 

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Red amaranth 
Chives 
Fleur de sel

METHOD:

For the Pork Rub:
In a container, combine all ingredients. Set aside.

For the Suckling Pig: 
Coat the pigs in Pork Rub. Let sit 3 hours. Remove the excess Pork Rub with cold water. Place pork on a sheet pan set with a wire rack and let dry 24 hours. Heat oven to 176°F at 100 percent humidity. Cook 10 hours. Remove and reserve pork bones and increase oven temperature to 390°F. Roast the remaining meat until the skin is golden brown and crackling. Reserve.

For the Pork Jus: 
Heat oven to 350°F. Roast onions, carrots, leeks, celery, garlic and suckling pig bones for 40 minutes. Transfer bones and vegetables to a large pot and add remaining ingredients and 60 quarts water. Over medium heat, simmer the mixture for 12 hours. Strain through a chinois and degrease. Return to the stove and simmer to reduce until thickened. Season with salt. Reserve.

For the Chile de Arbol Sauce: 
In a large pot, combine all ingredients and 1 liter water. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Strain through a chinois. Reserve.

For the Pickled Almonds: 
In a pot, add sugar, vinegar, 100 grams Chile de Árbol Sauce, salt, and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, then transfer to a 4 quart container. Add almonds and cover. Refrigerate 12 hours.

For the Toasted Rice Milk: 
Heat oven to 320°F. In a sheet pan, toast rice in the oven until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Soak the toasted rice in 8 quarts water for 8 hours (or overnight). Transfer soaked rice and water to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Strain with a cheesecloth. Refrigerate.

For the Simple Syrup: 
In a pot over medium heat, combine all ingredients and 2 quarts water. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts. Set aside.

For the Nixtamalized Butternut Squash: 
Heat oven to 195°F. In a large, nonreactive container stir cal into 3 liters water. Add the squash slices. Let sit 1 hour. Put the slices of nixtamalized squash in the Simple Syrup and confit in the oven for 3 hours.

For the Squash Seed Horchata: 
In a pan over medium-high flame, heat olive oil. Add 85 grams reserved squash seeds and toast until dark brown. Add salt, ancho chiles, garlic, and 90 grams reserved butternut squash trimmings. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 quart Toasted Rice Milk and cook until thickened. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Strain through a chinois. Season with salt. Refrigerate.

To Assemble and Serve:
Pour 1 ounce Squash Seed Horchata onto a serving plate and top with 1 slice Nixtamalized Butternut Squash. Fill the belly of the Squash with 1.5 ounces Pickled Almonds. Debone the Suckling Pig and place a portion next to the Nixtamalized Butternut Squash. Pour 1 ounce Pork Jus onto Suckling Pig. Season dish with amaranth, chives ,and fleur de sel.

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