Carne de Porco à Alentejana (Portuguese Pork & Clams)
Carne de Porco à Alentejana
Portuguese Pork, Littleneck Clams and Potatoes. If you’re a meat lover, this traditional Portuguese dish is not to be missed. Carne de Porco à Alentejana is one of the most traditional (and widely popular) pork dishes in all of Portugal. However, don’t let the name fool you – this dish actually originates from the Algarve region.
The key to Carne de Porco à Alentejana is in the slow cooking, where pork is marinated for around four 24 hours and then fried alongside clams and served with potatoes. This is a delicious recipe served with black olives.
Made with our own Carne de Porco à Alentejana Mix
Carne Porco à Alentejana Directions
MARINATE THE PORK
Add seasoning mix with 2 cups of water, stir and mix till well blended. Add pork and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12-24 hours.
SOAK THE CLAMS
When ready to cook, place the clams in a bowl of cold salted water for 1-2 hours before you start cooking. Rinse and drain the clams thoroughly.
START THE PORK
Uncover the pork and drain it using a slotted spoon, shaking off excess marinade. Important: make sure to reserve the marinade liquid! Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add the pork, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s fine if you get some liquid developed with pork. Most of the liquid will evaporate within 10 minutes.
DEGLAZE THE PAN
Add reserved marinated liquid to the pan with the pork. Stir until you've released all those tasty bits from the pan.
COOK THE PORK
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover it with a lid. Cook the pork slowly and on low heat for 40 minutes.
COOK THE POTATOES
While the pork cooks to get tender, cook the potatoes. Deep-fry, pan-fry, air-fry, or bake the potatoes at 375°F. When potatoes are cooked, add a little salt and pepper over the cooked potatoes while they cool, and set aside.
STEAM THE CLAMS
Once the pork is done, raise the heat to medium-high. Add clams to the pot. Cover the pot and steam the clams for 5-10 minutes or until their shells open.
ASSEMBLE THE DISH
Transfer the opened clams to a large casserole dish or individual plates. Layer the pork on top of the clams and add the potatoes on top. Pour some of the pan juice over the top. Garnish with cilantro, giardiniera, and a few black olives, then serve!