Maialino Sardo is the traditional treatment of suckling pig, thought to be tied to Spanish practices when Spain controlled the island (1479 to 1713).
But Maialino Sardo isn’t just any suckling pig. It must be from a Sardinian breed of pig at a particular weight fed mostly if not entirely on its mother’s breast milk, and cooked on a spit over a wood fire. Long and slow cooking produces a perfectly tender flesh and a very crispy skin.
In Sardo, the pig can be called Proxeddu, porcheddu, porcetto, proceddu, copieddu, or pulceddu. Evidently the name porceddu, used frequently in menus, may be an invention of tourists, according to the site Botteega.
But no matter what it’s called, if you like pork you must try this classic dish. Two places we’ve tried on the island have served the traditional offering to our satisfaction. One is the well-known restaurant at the Hotel Su Gologone and the other near Porto Torres Tenuto Li Lion.