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Carne de vinha d'alhos
Carne de vinha d'alhos: Madeira's Christmas pork, soaked in wine, vinegar and garlic
No Madeiran Christmas is complete without carne de vinha d'alhos: chunks of pork soaked for days in wine, vinegar, garlic and bay, then simmered and fried until browned and tangy. Families start it after the December pig-killing, and the leftovers fill bread rolls for days. Portuguese sailors carried the idea to Goa, where it became vindaloo. This contains pork and uses white wine; for an alcohol-free version use 250 ml water instead of the wine, as many Madeiran households do. Chef's tip: fry thick slices of bread in the pan juices at the end; they are the cook's reward.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the marinade
To cook
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: In a large bowl or food bag, mix 1 ¼ cups dry white wine, ¾ cup white wine vinegar, 8 garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, 3 whole cloves, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried chilli flakes and 2 tsp salt. Add 3 ⅓ lb boneless pork shoulder, turn to coat, cover and marinate in the fridge for 2–3 days, turning once a day. A common mistake is marinating it only overnight: the long soak is what gives the pork its sharp, deep flavour.
10 minStep 2: Tip the pork and marinade into a wide, heavy pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 45–60 minutes, until the pork is tender when pierced.
55 minStep 3: Uncover, turn up the heat and boil until almost all the liquid has gone and the pork starts to sizzle in its own fat, about 10 minutes. Lift out the pork and keep the juices in the pan.
10 minStep 4: Add 3 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan and fry the pork in batches over a medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, until browned on all sides. The thickest piece should reach 160°F in the centre.
10 minStep 5: Fry 6 slices crusty bread in the pan juices for 1–2 minutes a side until golden and soaked with flavour. Serve the pork on the bread, with slices of 2 oranges to cut the richness.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carne de vinha d'alhos take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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