Portuguese
Gluten freeCarne de porco à alentejana
Pork and clams
Carne de porco à alentejana: pork and clams with fried potatoes and coriander
Despite the name, this surf-and-turf dish of pork and clams is most often linked with the Algarve coast, where Alentejo pork met local shellfish; today it is served in tascas all over Portugal, especially for Sunday lunch. It is a pork dish: cubes of pork shoulder marinate in massa de pimentão (sweet red pepper paste), garlic and traditionally white wine, then are fried and tossed with steamed clams, crisp potato cubes, pickles and lots of coriander. For an alcohol-free version, swap the wine for chicken stock with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Chef's tip: buy the pork with a little fat on; lean loin turns dry and tough when fried.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 640 kcal
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 ¾ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp red pepper paste (massa de pimentão)or 2 tsp sweet paprika mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- ¾ cup dry white wineor chicken stock plus 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the clams
- 1 ⅔ lb live clams
- 2 tbsp salt for purging
For the potatoes and pan
- 1 ½ lb potatoespeeled, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp mixed pickled vegetables (pickles) (optional)chopped
- 1 large handful fresh corianderchopped
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ¾ lb boneless pork shoulder with 2 tbsp red pepper paste (massa de pimentão), 4 cloves garlic, ¾ cup dry white wine, 2 bay leaves and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Wash your hands and board after handling raw pork.
10 minStep 2: An hour before cooking, put 1 ⅔ lb live clams in cold water with 2 tbsp salt for purging in the fridge to purge. Lift them out and tap any open ones; throw away any that stay open or have cracked shells.
60 minStep 3: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil for frying to 350°F and fry 1 ½ lb potatoes in batches for 6–8 minutes until golden and tender inside. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven. Never leave the hot oil unattended.
20 minStep 4: Lift the pork from the marinade and pat dry, keeping the marinade. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over a high heat and brown the pork in two batches for 5–6 minutes, until well coloured. A common mistake is crowding the pan: the meat stews grey instead of browning.
12 minStep 5: Return all the pork, pour in the marinade and simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid reduces by half and the pork reaches 160°F (160 °F) inside, with no pink juices.
10 minStep 6: Add the clams, cover tightly and cook over a high heat for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open. Discard any clams that stay shut and the bay leaves.
6 minStep 7: Fold in the potatoes, 4 tbsp mixed pickled vegetables (pickles) and most of the 1 large handful fresh coriander. Scatter with the rest and serve hot with 1 lemon.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carne de porco à alentejana take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
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