Portuguese Pork and Clams or Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a traditional Portuguese dish that combines pork with fresh clams. Despite the name, it was actually created in the Algarve, but it’s not exclusive to the southern region, and can be found in restaurants all over the country. This is one of my favourite Portuguese dishes to make at home. It’s absolutely delicious, packed with flavour, and quite simple to make! So keep reading to learn how to make this Portuguese favourite at home!
Jump to RecipeAlentejo in Name, Algarve in Style!
Carne de Porco à Alentejana is perhaps one of the most famous portuguese dishes that there is! The name translates as Alentejo Style Pork, but did you know this dish was actually created in the Algarve? Little is known about who actually created it, but legend says Algarve pigs were raised on the byproducts of the canning industry which would impart fish flavours to the pork. This required heavy seasoning in order to conceal the undesirable sea-like flavour. Algarve cooks started then to source their pork from the Alentejo, a region famous for its delicious pigs fed almost entirely on acorns.
Now back to our pork and clams, it’s said the dish was originally called ‘Carne de Porco Alentejana’ or simply Pork from the Alentejo. Somewhere along the way it became ‘Carne de Porco à Alentejana’ which means Alentejo Style Pork! Who would’ve thought that an extra letter could generate so much confusion.
Ingredients for an Authentic Portuguese Pork and Clams
To make this classic Portuguese dish you will need pork loin, fresh clams, potatoes, lard, as well as the your typical ingredients used in a portuguese marinade; white wine, garlic, red pepper paste (massa de pimentão), bay leaves, paprika, salt, and black pepper. You will also need some freshly chopped cilantro to garnish. For those cursed with the cilantro soap gene, you can replace it with parsley.
The secret to a good Carne de Porco à Alentejana is in the marinade. Your pork should sit in it for at least two hours, but the longer the better. Another important part of this recipe is the potatoes. I’ve seen plenty of recipes where people stew the potatoes with the pork, and although I’m sure that must be delicious, that is not the traditional way.
The potatoes should be fried and distributed at the bottom of the dish, with the pork and clams served on top. The traditional way is to deep fried the potatoes in vegetable oil, but you can also air fry or bake the potatoes for a slightly healthier version.
Carne de Porco à Alentejana Recipe
To make this dish we start by cutting the pork loin into similar size chunks and placing them in a container or ziploc bag alongside the white wine, garlic cloves, red pepper paste (massa de pimentão), a bay leaf, paprika powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix it well then pop in the fridge for at least two hours but ideally overnight.
Place a large casserole over medium to high heat, once hot, add in the lard. Sear the marinated pork on all sides until golden brown. Do it in batches as not to reduce the temperature of the pan too much. Once you are done searing the pork, return the meat to the pan, add in the leftover marinated and a splash of water. Stew for about 1h to 1h30m on low heat with the lid on making sure to stir it here and then.
Next we peel and cut the potatoes into cubes and soak them in cold water for about 30 minutes to remove some of the starch before deep frying. If you opted for air frying or oven baking your potatoes you can skip this step. Rinse and drain the potatoes, then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Meanwhile, add your vegetable oil to a pan suitable for deep frying. Once the oil reaches about 180°C proceed to fry your potatoes in batches until golden. If you have some extra time you can fry them twice.
Meanwhile, give your amêijoas a good rinse, then check them one by one to see if there are any broken shells or open clams that do not close when you touch them. Place them in a large bowl, cover with icy water, then add a sprinkle of salt on top. Let them soak for 30 minutes prior to use. This will help getting rid of any remaining grit. Rinse and drain the clams, then stir them into the pork stew. Cover back with the lid, let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until they open. I like to remove most clams out of their shells, but leave some in for aesthetic purposes. This also gives you a good opportunity to look for shells that haven’t opened and discard them.
To plate your Pork and Clams, layer a serving dish with the fried potatoes, add your stewed pork and clams on top as well as well as the juices from the pan, then top with lots of freshly chopped cilantro! If you don’t mind doubling on the carbs, you can have it with some bread or white rice too. Enjoy!
How to Make Portuguese Pork and Clams
Portuguese Pork and Clams – Carne de Porco à Alentejana
6
servings20
minutes1
hour30
minutes491
kcalPortuguese Pork and Clams or Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a traditional southern dish that comprises an intriguing but delicious combination of stewed pork and clams.
Ingredients
- Marinade Ingredients
1 cup White Wine
5 Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Pepper Paste
1 tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 tbsp Salt
Black Pepper - to taste
1 Bay Leaves
- Ingredients
1 kg Boneless Pork Loin, cut into 4cm cubes
2 tbsp Lard
1 kg Fresh Clams
Fresh Cilantro
6 Medium Potatoes
1 l Vegetable Oil - for frying
Salt - to taste
Directions
- Start by marinating the meat. Place the pork loin cubes and all the other marinade ingredients in a container or Ziploc bag. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix well to combine. The marinade liquid should cover the pork. Pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours but ideally overnight.
- Place a Dutch oven or a large skillet over medium to high heat, once hot, add in the lard. Sear the pieces of pork on both sides until golden brown. It’s better to divide it in two to three batches so the pan doesn’t get overcrowded.
- Once you finish, return all the seared meat to the pan, pour in the marinade liquids and a splash of water, use a wooden spoon to help loosen the burnt bits at the bottom. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover with the lid and let it simmer for 1 hour to 1h30m.
- Meanwhile, give your amêijoas a good rinse, then check them one by one to see if there are any broken shells or open clams that do not close when you touch them. Place them in a large bowl, cover with cold water, chuck in a couple of ice cubes, then add a generous sprinkle of salt on top. Let them soak for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes, then soak them in cold water for about 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
- Add your vegetable oil to a pan suitable for deep frying. Once the oil reaches about 180°C proceed to fry your potatoes in batches until golden. If you have some extra time you can fry them twice.
- Drain the clams, then stir them into the cooked pork, add another splash of water if needed. Cover with the lid, then let them simmer for about 5 minutes or until the shells open. Take most of the clams from their shells, stir them back in, but keep some in their shells for aesthetic purposes. Remember to discard any clams that remained shut.
- Place your fried potatoes in a serving plate, then layer your pork and clams on top. Top them up with lots of fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy!!