Is there a better way to celebrate than with a suckling pig?
My sister recently graduated from college, and to celebrate in the style my family prefers we went to Amada in Philadelphia to dine, wine, and cheers the new graduate. We pre-ordered the half roasted suckling pig when we made our reservation.
We started our meal off with some complimentary dishes.
Roasted Padron Peppers
Crackers with Balsamic Tuna Dip
And onto the things we ordered….
The Potato Tortilla Española – it was good, but I’ve honestly had better. The flavor and texture could be enhanced and perfected.
We ordered the Ensalada de Jamón and after receiving it almost immediately ordered another one. It was terrific.
Ensalada de Jamón – serrano ham wrapped around figs, salad, cabrales, and spiced almonds.
Ensalada Verde – Green Salad, Asparagus, Favas, Avocado, Green Beans
THE LOBSTER PAELLA – Lobster & Seafood Paella, Fava Bean Salad, Smoked Paprika AÏoli, Squid Ink
Obviously, we really like my sister because we went all out for her. The paella was delicious, though the dish itself was very shallow and I’m not sure how I felt about the seafood to paella rice ratio.
While we were polishing off our paella, our pig arrived. It was carved before us into perfectly portioned pieces of pork. I was already quite full at this point, but watching the process unfold before me persuaded me to stretch the walls of my stomach.
Our pork came with sides (in order): Grilled Green Onions, Rosemary White Beans, Herb Roasted Fingerlings, Garbanzos con Espinacas. The fingerling potatoes and the grilled green onions were great. I found both of the beans to be over-salted, especially in conjunction with our pork.
Cochinillo Asado
A meal for all of the meat-lovers out there to try. The pork was absolutely delectable. We had a significant amount of leftovers the next day and made bahn mi sandwiches with the pork for lunch. It was still delicious – perhaps even more so, because I was more hungry then.
Many thanks to my parents for the meal, and many felicitations to my sister on graduating.