Carne de Porco a Alentejana

Ingredients

• 700g pork shoulder, in 3cm cubes
• 3 tbsp massa de pimentao (Portuguese red pepper paste)
• 200ml dry white wine
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sweet pimentao
• 1kg small clams, purged
• 700g waxy potatoes, peeled
• 600ml sunflower oil for frying
• 3 tbsp lard or olive oil
• 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Salt
• Black pepper

Before you cook

• Cut the pork shoulder into 3cm cubes and pat them dry.
• Mix the massa de pimentao, white wine, crushed garlic, bay leaves, pimentao and plenty of black pepper in a bowl.
• Turn the pork through the marinade, cover it, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Soak the clams in heavily salted cold water for 1 hour, then rinse them and discard any that will not close.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1.5cm cubes, then rinse and dry them thoroughly.
• Chop the coriander and take the pork out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Steps

1. Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan to 180C.
2. Fry the potato cubes in two batches for 5 to 6 minutes each until crisp and golden.
3. Drain the potatoes on kitchen paper, salt them, and keep them somewhere warm.
4. Lift the pork out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and pat it dry, keeping the marinade.
5. Melt the lard in a wide heavy pan over high heat.
6. Sear the pork in three batches for about 4 minutes each, turning until every side is deep brown.
7. Return all the pork to the pan and season it with salt.
8. Pour in the reserved marinade and scrape the base clean.
9. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes until the pork is tender.
10. Take the lid off and boil for 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and turned glossy.
11. Tip the clams into the pan and put the lid straight back on.
12. Steam over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan once, until all the shells have opened.
13. Discard any clams that have stayed shut.
14. Fish out the bay leaves and taste the sauce for salt, remembering the clams bring their own.
15. Stir most of the chopped coriander through the pan.
16. Tip the fried potatoes over the top and fold them in just enough to catch the sauce.
17. Scatter over the remaining coriander and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.