Portuguese Melted Cheese & Suckling Pig Toast

What do you do when you’ve got leftovers from a beautiful, golden, slow-roasted portuguese style suckling pig (leitão assado)? You make a toast, obviously! This is one of those “not really” a recipe, anyone can make a toast, but i gotta say a toast with some shredded “leitão assado” tucked under melted cheese inside a perfectly pressed, crispy roll, it just hits right! 😀

For this sandwich I didn’t just use any leftover pork, I used a fantastic roasted suckling pig, and paired it with fresh pão de água (water rolls) from one of the best bakeries in the Algarve, Crocante Pastelaria e Padaria in Parchal, just across the river Arade from Portimão. It’s one of those bakeries that’s absolutely worth going out of your way for, or pulling off the Via do Infante, just to grab a bag full of their rolls and pastries. Trust me on this one. Hehehe

Ok ok, back on track, this is a simple and delicious recipe and a totally worthwhile way to make use of leftover roasted pork. Sure, here I’m using incredible Portuguese suckling pig (leitão assado), but you can honestly use any kind of leftover pork, especially if it’s tender, flavorful, and falling apart. Waste nothing!!!!! Let’s check the recipe!

Portuguese Melted Cheese & Suckling Pig Toast

Servings: 1
Time: 30mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★
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Not so much a recipe, more a... yummy delicious suggestion for your roasted pork leftovers!

Ingredients

Bread – 1
Flamengo Cheese – 2 Slices
Suckling Pig – +/- 100g (Already Cooked and Shredded)
Black Pepper – A Pinch

Directions

Heat the toaster oven, cut the fresh bread in half.

Arrange the two slices of cheese, followed by the shredded suckling pig and a pinch of pepper on top (pepper and roasted pork are a perfect pair).
Close the bread and toast until the cheese is melted and ready to serve! That’s it, enjoy!

Notes & Tips: For the bread, a soft water roll (pão de água) is ideal because it gets crispy on the outside while staying a little soft inside once pressed. A ciabatta roll or any soft white roll works well too, just avoid anything too thick or crusty or the cheese won’t melt evenly before the bread burns.

Flamengo is a mild, creamy Portuguese cheese that melts beautifully, but if you can’t find it, any good melting cheese works, think young Gouda, Havarti, Monterey Jack, or even a mild American cheese. The goal is maximum melt and creaminess.

Make sure your suckling pig (or leftover pork) is shredded before it goes in. The thinner and more spread out the filling, the more evenly everything heats through and the better each bite will be.

Don’t rush the press. Let it go on medium heat long enough for the cheese to fully melt. A rushed toast with cold filling in the middle is a sad toast.

The black pepper is not optional. Pepper and roast pork are genuinely one of the great flavor combinations, pepper also goes well with cheese, and it elevates this simple sandwich from good to great. A tiny pinch of smoked paprika or piri-piri flakes can also be a fun addition if you like a little kick.

As mentioned, this recipe works with any leftover roasted pork, pulled pork, pernil, slow-cooked shoulder, you name it. The key is that the meat is tender, well-seasoned, and shredded so it nestles nicely into the sandwich.

This recipe for Portuguese Melted Cheese & Suckling Pig Toast was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Tosta de Leitão Assado foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.