Bairrada-style roast suckling pig (Leitão à Bairrada)

1. Pound the garlic, bay leaves (rib removed), salt and coarsely crushed pepper to a paste in a mortar, then work it into the lard until creamy – this is the Bairrada "pasta".

2. Pat the suckling pig (or a skin-on pork shoulder instead) very dry with kitchen paper; spread the paste generously over the meat side and into any cuts, but leave the skin clean, just lightly salted.

3. Place it skin-side up on a rack over a roasting tin with a glass of water in it, and roast uncovered at 160 °C for about 2 hours 15 minutes, until the meat is tender.

4. Prick the skin all over with a thin needle, turn the oven up to 230 °C and roast for another 20-25 minutes until the skin blisters and turns glassy and crisp – keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

5. Strain the garlicky, fatty juices from the tin and season them with the lemon juice.

6. Rest for 10 minutes, chop into pieces with a cleaver and serve with the sauce, potato crisps, orange segments and a salad.

Tip: The secret is dry skin: if you have time, leave the meat skin-side up and uncovered in the fridge the night before – by morning the skin will have dried out and it will crackle much better.