I have a question re the cochinillo. At 4.5 kilos, that is not a whole lot of meat considering the bones and the un eatable parts. The meal for 2 incl. dessert was 96 euros, fair. Now according to another post a bigger cochinilo was brought out and divided with the use of a plate to show its ternderness(no use of knife), (the same is done in Hawaii), they just use the bone from the hip, and the meat is divided to the table.. But who gets what? The table with ham gets more meat than the ribs, etc. I a sure the locals get the best serving. I would rather get the whole smaller 4.5 kg for my family than a small serving. I think you are referring to large tour group of 50 people whole divide a whole pig. I am missing something? I have roasted plenty of larger pigs (75 lbs) and know the difference in the type of meat.

In Spain they serve the head. The cheeks are delicious.

Some places ask which parts you want and do not serve the entire pig.

The pigs are a maximum of 4.5 kilos before cooking, but often smaller. They lose much of that weight when cooked. Two people are usually served the entire pig including the head; discounting the bones, there is still plenty of meat.

The front windows of Jose Maria and other local eateries often showcase some of the items on offer, including the whole pigs. They are quite small.


Like this:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/med...g-1335-jpg.jpg

Last week I was in Puerto Rico (San Juan and the island's capital of roast pig, Guavate) where I consumed quite a bit of lechon asado, much larger animals laced with spices and roasted outdoors on a spit.

One of the cooks there told me that the pigs weigh in about 90 pounds raw, and about 60 pounds or so after cooking. So that is the kind of pig that could feed lots of people--a tour group or, in my case, guests at a large party. And those are the pigs that have parts that are far superior to others in terms of texture and flavor and fat content.

But the pigs in Segovia are a different breed and a fraction of the size of those larger animals, and the taste is quite different. Remember that they are "suckling" pigs, with all that that word implies.

In any case, they are all delicious!

After my post I figured out something. The wife and I plan to travel alone,not in a group, so how , what and when we eat is our choice. We don't have to told what to do which is what would have happen if we were in a group.

I conducted an image search and could only come up with this 2010 photo of their menu: http://www.vicenteherrero.es/wp-cont...1/DSC01277.jpg

I can also highly recommend Mesón Duque, Calle de Cervantes, 12, is on the path from the Aqueduct to the Plaza Mayor: web: http://www.restauranteduque.es

It's nearly as famous and nearly as old, too, for their suckling pig and lamb. We tend to go there as it's a bit less touristy (as it's not alongside the aqueduct). There, the "Menú Típico Segoviano" costs 30 Euros per person. Had lunch there last Sunday. For the first course, I had the "judeones" - big, fat white beans and chorizo+morcilla. For the second course I had the "cochinillo" suckling pig. House wine and dessert was included. The place is just beautiful, too, and the wait staff is Spanish, mature, and professional.

Saludos, MadridMan - an American in Madrid - @ you-know-where!