null

Site Information

 Loading... Please wait...

Latin Touch

Cochon Farci

Posted by Chef Perry P. Perkins on

Cochon Farci
(sword and armor optional)

~Chef Perry Perkins~

Pourcelet farci (Stuffed Suckling Pig) is a traditional Medieval recipe (originating in France) for a classic roast pig stuffed with cheese, forcemeat, egg yolks and chestnuts. One of the earliest known recipes for this dish is listed as “Stuffed Pigling” from Le Menagier de Paris [The Goodman of Paris], c. 1393.

The 1393 recipe, however, starts in the pig pen. This one’s a little cleaner...and on a bit grander scale.

Okay, this recipe is a lot of work, I know that, but I love it.

If you’re looking to serve something "out of the box" roasted IN the box, if you like to offer your guests something they’ve never had before (and likely won’t again) this is the recipe for you!

45-50 lb Pig
4 lbs Goat cheese
2 lb Chestnuts, roasted
32 oz Red wine vinegar
4 tbsp Salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp Ginger
2 tbsp Sugar
Butcher's twine and needle

10 lbs roasted pork, diced
3 lbs Pig's liver
32 oz Olive oil
48 Egg yolks, hard-boiled and chopped
4 tbsp Pepper
2 tbsp Cloves
1 tsp Salt

Slice the liver thinly, and fry until cooked through. Drain and let cool. Mince the liver and set aside. Peel the chestnuts and grind to a paste. Dice the cheese as small as possible.

Combine the roast pork, cooked liver, egg yolks, cheese, chestnuts, and spices and mix thoroughly.

Place the pig, skin side down on La Caja China roasting rack, then cover the ears, the snout, and the tail of the pig with cooking foil, to prevent burning. Combine the oil, vinegar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Baste the pig thoroughly with this after placing in La Caja China.

Fill the body cavity with stuffing mixture, then cover the cavity (and all stuffing) loosely with heavy foil. Attach top rack and secure with S-hooks.

Cover box with the ash pan and charcoal grid. Add 16 lbs. of charcoal for Model #1 Box or 18lbs. for Model #2, or Semi Pro Box, and light up. Once lit (20-25 minutes) spread the charcoal evenly over the charcoal grid. Cooking time starts right now.

After 1 hour, add 10 lbs. of charcoal. Continue to add 10 lbs. of charcoal every hour until you reach 195 on the meat thermometer.

IMPORTANT: Do not open the box until you reach the desired temperature!

Once you reach 195, (4-4 ½ hours) lift the charcoal grid shake it well to remove the ashes, now place it on top of the long handles.

Remove the ash pan from the box and dispose of the ashes. Before flipping the pig, I suggest making sure that the foil covering the stuffing is as secure as possible, especially at the edges, so as not to lose anything in the flip, the rack should hold it all in place.

Flip the pig over, baste again, and replace the cover to crispy the skin.

Flipping is easily done using La Caja China’s patented Rack System, just grab the end of the rack, and lift and slide as you pull upward, using the other hand grab the top end of the other rack and slide it down.

Score the skin using a knife, this helps to remove the fat and crisp the skin. I just cut a shallow X in each of square of the rack. You want to cut through the skin, but not into the meat.

Cover the box again with the ash pan and the charcoal grid; do not add more charcoal at this time. After 30 minutes, take a peek, if Ms. Piggy isn’t quite as gold and crispy as you wanted, close the lid another ten. You will continue doing this every 10 minutes until the skin is crispy to your liking.

Once the pig is to your liking, set the lid back on at an angle, so the pig stays warm but isn’t cooking, and let it rest for 30-60 minutes...it will still be too hot to touch bare-handed.

Chop and serve to the vassals at your next joust!

~Chef Perry


As a third-generation chef, Perry P. Perkins focuses his love of cooking on barbeque, traditional southern fare, and fresh Northwest cuisine.

Perry runs the non-profit organization, MY KITCHEN Outreach Program, which teaches nutrition, shopping, and hands on cooking classes for at risk youth.

His cookbooks include La Caja China Cooking, La Caja China World, La Caja China Party, and the NEW “La Caja China Grill.”

You can follow the rest of Chef Perry’s cooking adventures at ChefPerryPerkins.com


View Comments