Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a classic Portuguese dish made from tender cubes of pork, crispy fried potatoes and littleneck clams simmered in white wine sauce. It’s topped with black olives, fresh cilantro and jardineira, which is a medley of pickled carrots, red peppers and cauliflower.
Much like Shrimp Mozambique, Carne Alentejana is a Portuguese dish by origin, but we Cape Verdeans have adopted the dish into our cuisine, especially for parties and family gatherings. Pork and seafood are both popular in Cape Verdean cuisine and this dish checks both boxes.
What is carne de porco à Alentejana?
Carne Alentejana (we’ll call it this for short) is a traditional Portuguese dish that’s made of tender, braised pieces of pork that are seared in pork fat and braised in a delicious white-wine sauce. It’s then assembled with with fried potatoes and clams.
Carne de porco is the Portuguese term for ‘pork’. À Alentejana is a designation that’s used for something that comes from the Alentejo region of Portugal.
Many people assume that the dish itself comes from the Alentejo region, but the name Alentejana actually refers to a specific pig that’s native to the the Alentejo region. Some sources say that the dish itself comes from the Algarve region of Portugal.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Carne Alentejana. Quantities and measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 2 pounds of pork – cuts from the butt or shoulder work best. Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes.
- Diced potatoes – Yukon golds are shown in the photo. You don’t have to peel the potatoes like I did. Cut them the same size as the pork cubes.
- 2 pounds of littleneck clams in their shells
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt and black pepper
- Herbs and aromatics: onion, bay leaves, crushed garlic and fresh cilantro
- Dry white wine or white cooking wine
- Pork fat (lard) for searing the pork – lard is highly recommended for flavor but I list other substitutes below.
- Jarred crushed red chili peppers (labeled massa de pimentão), this is a Portuguese condiment that can be hard to find. Refer to ‘substitutions’ after the recipe instructions.
- Vegetables: jardineira (jarred pickled vegetables, sold as ‘giardiniera’ in stores), and Portuguese black olives (see substitutions below).
Instructions
Make sure to read through all of this steps before making this recipe. There are important steps that you don’t want to miss!
Step 1: Season and marinate the pork overnight
Season the pork with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the white wine and bay leaves to the bowl. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
Step 2: Soak the clams in salted water
Place the clams in a bowl of salted water for 1-2 hours before you start cooking. The salt in the water will the clams to open. Rinse and drain the clams thoroughly.
Steps 3 & 4: Sear the pork
Uncover the pork and drain it using a slotted spoon, squeezing out as much liquid out as you can. Important: make sure to reserve the liquid!
Heat the lard in a dutch oven or pot. Sear the pork on all sides over a high flame and transfer the pork to a plate.
Step 5: Deglaze the pan
Sauté the onions in the leftover pork fat – add another tablespoon of lard if needed. The moisture from the onions will deglaze the pot. Add the crushed chilis (or tomato paste + hot sauce) to the pot and toss the onions until they’re coated.
Step 6: Braise the pork
Return the pork to the pan and pour the reserved marinade over it. Bring the pot to a simmer and cover it with a lid. Braise the pork over low heat for for 45 minutes.
Step 7: Fry the potatoes
Once the pork has 15-20 minutes left of cooking time, heat the frying oil in a separate pan. When the temperature of the oil reaches 350°F, fry the potatoes for 3-5 minutes or until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels and set them aside, or keep them warm in the oven (heated to 170°F).
Step 8: Steam the clams
Once the timer on the pork is up, add the rinsed, drained clams to the pot with the pork in it. Cover the pot and steam the clams over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until their shells open.
Steps 9 & 10: Assemble the dish and serve!
Transfer pork to a casserole dish. Layer the potatoes on top of the pork and arrange the clams on top. Ladle the braised liquid over the dish – you don’t have to use it all.
Top the dish with fresh chopped cilantro, jardineira, and a few black olives then serve!
Substitutions
Here are some alternative ingredients you can use:
- Jardineira – unless you live in an area with a Portuguese or Cape Verdean population, you’re unlikely to find this ingredient labeled in Portuguese. Look for ‘giardiniera’ where the jarred vegetables are in your local market.
- Massa de pimentão – is a condiment made of crushed red chilis. There are asian brands that sell this but they usually contain ginger and other spices that are used in Asian cooking. For this reason, I would substitute with 2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste and 2 teaspoons of hot sauce.
- Black olives – if you can’t find Portuguese olives, black kalamata olives are preferred.
- Another type of meat – I’m sure this is controversial but if you don’t eat pork you technically could use beef in its place. This will alter the flavor of the dish but it’s certainly do-able.
- Pork fat (lard) can be substituted with vegetable shortening or vegetable oil.
Storage
I usually store leftover Carne Alentajana in a glass casserole dish with a lid or covered in plastic wrap. This way I can just reheat it (uncovered) in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Make sure to read all of the steps before starting this recipe! There are important steps you don’t want to miss!
- For best results, season and marinate the pork overnight
- Pork fat (lard) yields the best flavor, but you can substitute shortening or vegetable oil.
- If for some reason some of the clams don’t open in the salt water, its ok. Just rinse them off the best you can. The steam will open them as they cook. Toss any clams that don’t open even after cooking.
Other recipes you’ll love
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Carne de Porco à Alentejana – Portuguese Pork and Clams
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork butt or shoulder
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups white wine non-sweet
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper paste massa de pimentao or 2 teaspoons tomato paste + 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes
- 2 pounds littleneck clams
- 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
- small handful of giardiniera mix for garnish, don’t use the pearled onions
- a few Portuguese black olives for garnish
Instructions
- Season the pork with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the white wine and bay leaves to the bowl. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Place the clams in a bowl of salted water for 1-2 hours before you start cooking. The salt in the water will the clams to open. Rinse and drain the clams thoroughly.
- Uncover the pork and drain it using a slotted spoon, squeezing out as much liquid out as you can. Important: make sure to reserve the liquid!
- Heat the lard in a dutch oven or pot. Sear the pork on all sides over a high flame and transfer the pork to a plate.
- Sauté the onions in the leftover pork fat – add another tablespoon of lard if needed. The moisture from the onions will deglaze the pot. Add the crushed chilis (or tomato paste + hot sauce) to the pot and toss the onions until they’re coated.
- Return the pork to the pan and pour the reserved marinade over it. Bring the pot to a simmer and cover it with a lid. Braise the pork over low heat for for 45 minutes.
- Once the pork has 15-20 minutes left of cooking time, heat the frying oil in a separate pan. When the temperature of the oil reaches 350°F, fry the potatoes for 3-5 minutes or until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels and set them aside, or keep them warm in the oven (heated to 170°F).
- Once the timer on the pork is up, add the rinsed, drained clams to the pot. Cover the pot and steam the clams over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until their shells open.
- Transfer pork to a casserole dish. Layer the potatoes on top of the pork and arrange the clams on top. Ladle the braised liquid over the dish – you don’t have to use it all.
- Top the dish with fresh chopped cilantro, giardiniera, and a few black olives then serve.
Notes
- Make sure to read all of the steps before starting this recipe, so you don’t miss any!
- For best results, season and marinate the pork overnight in the refrigerator.
- Pork fat (lard) yields the best flavor, but you can substitute shortening or vegetable oil.
- If for some reason some of the clams don’t open in the salt water, its ok. Just rinse them off the best you can. The steam will open them as they cook. Toss any clams that don’t open even after cooking.
Nutrition
Food safety
A few safety tips to keep in mind:
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 145 °F (63 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw pork
- Wash your hands after touching raw pork
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Stacy says
I made this and it was legit! It was so good one of my boyfriend’s portuguese friends came over and tried it. He said it tasted exactly like the one he orders at this restaurant down the street! I also had plenty for like 3 days, which was great because I got a break from cooking :).
Crystal DaCruz says
Stacy! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad you all enjoyed! I tried to make this recipe as authentic as possible!
Jacqueline DeSousa says
I’m so glad I found this, I’m Cape Verdean and I loved these dishes as a child but never learned how to make them until now. This recipe was easy to follow and my boyfriend loved it.
Debbie Matos says
My husband is from Azores and he said he enjoyed it. Best he’s had, so yea, thank you.
Maria says
The Cumin overpowered my dish. Next time I will use less Cumin or none at all. Also, recipe calls for crushed garlic but isn’t clear about when to add it. I like it better when the crushed garlic is added to the overnight marinade and not use powder garlic.
Julio Baptista says
Carne de Porco à Alentejana is one of my favorite Portuguese dishes. And when I stumbled across your recipe, I had to try it. And, I’m glad I did. Came out absolutely delicious, (yum).
Where I came up short, was not having included the lard. However, after making it, I realized that the lard is a must in order to get that little extra kick I was missing, (next time for sure).
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe with the rest of the world.
Proud Cape Verdean Boy!