Carne Vinha d’alhos – Garlic Wine Marinated Pork

In the Island of Madeira, during the family reunion on Christmas Eve it is customary to have chicken broth, apart from other meat dishes. Also, families usually drink the typical homemade tangerine, orange and anise liqueurs or even a glass of Madeira Wine.

On Christmas Day, a dish of Vinho d’ Alho,  pork loin marinated in wine is served.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork loin (with some fat cut into 2 inch cubes)

1 cup of red wine vinegar

1 cup of dry white wine

2 tablespoon of kosher salt

10 garlic cloves (chopped)

3 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon black Pepper

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Cut the meat in cubes and season with salt. Let marinate for 12 hours. Make marinade with the vinegar, wine, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, pepper flakes, paprika and 1/4 cup of the olive oil.

Place the meat in the marinade for at least three days in the refrigerator. The traditional way is to marinate in a food safe clay pot but you can use a ceramic bowl or plastic bag.

Drain the meat from the marinade and cook in hot heavy skillet in a little olive oil. Cook in batches until browned on all sides and fully cooked.

The traditional way to serve the pork is with crusty bread that has been fried in the same pan using any leftover oil.

Serve with bread, potatoes, or rice.

 Image credit: portuguesefoodrecipes.com