Carne de porco à alentejana

Steps

1. 1

   Step 1

   Mix the pork with the wine, garlic, pepper paste, paprika, bay leaves and salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

   10 min

2. 2

   Step 2

   An hour or two before cooking, put the clams in cold salted water, about 30 g salt per litre, so they spit out their sand. Lift them out, leaving the grit behind, and rinse. Throw away any that are cracked or stay open when tapped.

   10 min

   Watch: Discard any clam that will not close before cooking or will not open after. They are dead and unsafe.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Lift the pork from the marinade and pat it dry, keeping the marinade. Heat the lard in a wide, heavy pan and brown the pork in batches over high heat. Return all the pork, pour in the marinade, cover and simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender, taking the lid off for the last 15 if the sauce needs to reduce by about half.

   65 min

4. 4

   Step 4

   Meanwhile heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 170°C. Pat the potato cubes dry and fry them in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper and salt them.

   25 min170°C

   Watch: Keep the oil no more than a third of the way up the pan; wet potatoes make it foam up and spit.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Turn the heat under the pork to high, add the clams, cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open.

   6 min

6. 6

   Step 6

   Fold in the potatoes, or pile them on top, scatter with plenty of coriander and serve with lemon wedges and pickles.

   2 min