Segovia

From Madrid, my mom and I took a nice day trip to Segovia for about 12 euros each, round-trip. Not only is Segovia known for the marvel that is its original Roman aqueduct, it is renowned for a culinary specialty known as Cochinillo.

For those of you who have followed my blogs, you might remember my previous one named "My week as a vegan." This entry shows a completely different view on food. It is such a departure from what I usually eat, but as a true lover of food and of trying new things, I ventured in to the world of suckling pig. I'm going to be honest, I don't like the idea of eating a little baby pig- so small and helpless and eaten for its tender meat. The people of Segovia are proud of their tradition of cooking their own variation of suckling pig, generation after generation, with the same attention to detail as their forebearers. They slow cook the animal in special ovens so that the skin is perfectly crispy and the meat so tender it falls off the bone. The sauce that accompanies the cochinillo is made from the flavorful and fatty drippings after hours of broiling. Any native Segovian will tell you that the brilliance of the flavors and texture of the Cochinillo are due to the quality of the ingredients used and the perfect technique. If the Cochinillo is of exceptional quality, there is no need to add garlic or any other spices. This convergence of technical ability and quality products are what you pay for when going to eat at a restaurant serving Cochinillo de Segovia. The french would refer to this as true "savoir faire" (knowing how to do something well.)
                                       
The beautiful restaurant, and my beautiful mom. Casa Vicente, thank you for a lovely meal! They stayed open until we finished our meal even though we were clearly the last ones left from the lunch service. The waiter also thought my mom was my sister... good times.

The Menu. 

The man himself... Vicente. Lookin' good! He was at the restaurant when we ate there, and I noticed he inspected each plate before it left the kitchen which was nice to see. I had a direct view into the kitchen. 

The first course soup. Made of, what else? porc fat chunks. So tender they almost melted in your mouth. The table wine was good too! 

 The "pièce de résistance." When the cochinillo finally came, it looked small, but it packed a punch. The fries were perfectly soaked with the delicious broth making for a perfect pairing, as fries often are.

My mom got two types of Cochinillo- this one was braised and had a smokier flavor.