Carne De Porco Alentejana - Pork Fillet Alentejo Style (Portugal)
- 2 pounds pork fillet
- 1 tablespoon paprika, sweet or Spanish smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup white wine
- salt
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons rendered lard (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil but it won't taste the same!)
- 1 tablespoon coriander - fresh leaves chopped
- 2 pounds clams, very fresh
- Peel the garlic, half it and remove the green part inside. Crush teh garlic.
- Rub the pork fillet with the crushed garlic, the paprika, a little salt and put the meat in a ceramic or glass bowl. Add the white wine and marinate overnight or for 24 hours, turning the meat over at least once.
- Wash the fresh clams under running water. In a big bowl add the clams, cover with fresh water, add 3 tablespoons of water (water should taste like sea water, quite salty!) and stir to dilute the salt. Leave the clams in the water for a minimum of 4 hours in the fridge so they open and squirt out any sand they might have inside. Drain the clams, wash under running water and set aside in the fridge.
- Pat dry the meat, and cut in 1 inch cubes.
- In a wide pan (that has a tight fitting lid), add the rendered lard (or Olive Oil but try and find the lard, it's worth all your effort - plus you can use the rest to make savoury pie crusts that come absolutely amazing and flaky) and fry the meat until golden all over over medium-high heat.
- When you are ready to serve, put the pot with the meat over high heat, add the drained clams and the coriander leaves and mix. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and cook over high heat for 3 minutes, shaking the pan once in a while to distribute the heat evenly.
- Serve immediately (discard any clams that haven't opened) and garnish with quarters of fresh lemon.
- Some slices of good country bread will come in handy to dip in the sauce. Bom apetite!
pork fillet, paprika, white wine, salt, garlic, lard, coriander fresh
Taken from food52.com/recipes/795-carne-de-porco-alentejana-pork-fillet-alentejo-style-portugal (may not work)