Carne de Porco à Alentejana

Pork and marinade

• 700 g pork shoulder or leg, cubed into 2.5 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp massa de pimentão (red pepper paste), the authentic flavour, not paprika
• 150 ml white wine
• 3 garlic, crushed (plus 1 more for the pan)
• 1 bay leaf
• 0 to taste salt and pepper

Clams, potatoes and finish

• 500 g clams, purged in sea-strength salted water 1 h
• 500 g potatoes, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 1 tbsp lard (or olive oil), for searing
• 0 for frying oil, for the potatoes
• 0 a real handful coriander, chopped
• 0 to serve pickles and lemon

Marinate and prep

1. 1

   Cube 700 g pork and marinate with 2 tbsp massa de pimentão, 150 ml white wine, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper — 2 hours minimum, overnight if you can. Meanwhile purge 500 g clams in sea-strength salted water (~30 g/litre) for an hour and discard any that won't close.

   2h

   One gritty clam ruins the pot — don't skip the purge.

   Purging & Steaming Bivalves (Clams, Cockles)
2. 2

   Fry 500 g potatoes (1.5 cm cubes) separately in hot oil until golden and crisp, then drain and salt. Doing them apart from the meat — batatas fritas em cubos — is the textural counterpoint the dish is built on. Keep warm.

   12mhigh

Sear, finish, open the clams

1. 3

   Drain the pork, RESERVING the marinade, and pat fairly dry. Sear in batches in 1 tbsp lard over high heat until well browned — crowding steams it grey, so give it room. Set aside.

   10mhigh

   Sear in batches; a crowded pan is the classic failure.

2. 4

   Into the same pan go the reserved marinade and 1 chopped garlic clove; bring to a simmer, scraping the fond, then return the pork, cover and cook 5 min to finish through and let the pimentão bloom.

   6m

   Refogado — the Portuguese Aromatic Base
3. 5

   Pile in the clams, cover and cook 4–6 min over high heat just until they gape — pull the pot the moment they're open. Their liquor seasons the dish, so taste before adding salt. Stir through a handful of chopped coriander. Serve the pork and clams over or alongside the fried potatoes, with pickles and lemon.

   6m

   Past the gape the clams shrink to rubber — pull them the instant they open.

   Purging & Steaming Bivalves (Clams, Cockles)