Carne de Porco à Alentejana

I have been doing a dive into Portuguese recipes in preparation for a book group later this month. Everything I serve will be vegetarian since one of the members is strictly vegetarian, but I am loving the flavor profiles of the other dishes. So, we are eating a lot of Portuguese dishes this month.

Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a classic dish from Portugal's Alentejo region that uniquely combines marinated pork with clams. This dish is traditionally served over a bed of cubed, fried potatoes or the potatoes can also be added to the meat and clams during cooking!. Lemon wedges and optional pickles often accompany the dish, refreshingly contrasting the robust flavors.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

• 2 Tablespoon sweet paprika

• 1 teaspoon hot paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 2 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed

• ½ cup white wine vinegar

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• 1 organic white onion, peeled and chopped (approximately 1 cup)

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil

• 2-3 Tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

• 2 pounds clams, scrubbed

• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, boiled

• 2 Tablespoons butter

• freshly ground salt

• freshly ground pepper

• fresh organic lemon wedges for serving, optional

• fresh cilantro for serving, optional

Procedure

In a bowl, make a paste with the paprikas, turmeric, garlic, and 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Place the pork cubes into a deep bowl. Add the paprika and garlic paste to the pork and massage it into the meat with your fingers. Add in the bay leaves and vinegar. Cover the bowl and allow to marinate between 8 and 24 hours. The longer the better! Massage the meat every 4 to 6 hours. Let the meat come to room temperature before you start cooking.

Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in Dutch oven or other deep pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add in the marinated pork, setting aside the marinade for later. Brown the pork on all sides in a single layer, cooking it in batches if needed. Once all the pork has browned, reduce the heat to medium low and toss in the onion and and allow it to brown slightly, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and the rest of the pork marinade. Let it simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Add the pork back into the pan; the pork should be mostly covered in the sauce. If it needs more liquid, add in some chicken stock or water. Stir in the fresh oregano leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Allow the meat to braise for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours.

Once the pork is tender, bring the liquid back up to a gentle boil. Add the clams to the pot, nestling them in between the meat and mostly covered by the sauce. Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes.

While the clams are steaming in the pork and sauce, prepare the potatoes. Start with boiled potatoes that are easily pierced with a fork, but still firm.

Melt butter in a skillet. Add in the potatoes and cook until golden brown all over, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.

To serve, please a few potatoes in a shallow bowl. Ladle the pork, clams, and sauce over the top. Add wedges of lemon and cilantro leaves for garnish and serve with crusty Portuguese bread. Bom apetite!