Pork With Clams (Porco Com Ameijoas a Alentejana)

By amaliana

Chef Frank Terranova-NBC 10
Published August 31, 2009

Ingredients

• 2-pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup dry white wine, or as needed
• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves
• 5 cloves garlic, divided, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 pounds small clams
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a non-reactive container, place the pork and add the 1 cup wine, paprika, bay leaf, cloves, and 3 of the garlic cloves. Toss well to mix evenly, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the pork, reserving marinade. Pat the meat dry.

2. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the pork cubes on all sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add 2 remaining tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the browned pork to the onion mixture along with the reserved marinade, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the pork is tender, about 1 hour. Check from time to time and add more wine if the pork threatens to scorch.

4. Add the clams, discarding any that are open or have broken shells, cover, raise the heat to high, and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that failed to open.

5. Transfer the pork and clams to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the cilantro and parsley.
Serve immediately.