In The Centre #6 | Pork and clams
A recipe for (one of) my death row dish(es)
About eight years ago, in Evora, Portugal, I had one of the most unremarkable looking, yet totally unforgettable dishes of my life.
The dish, Porco à Alentejana, is a classic of the region. Although I recall I only ordered it from the short menu because my wife shotgunned the item I really wanted, and I was left choosing between the thing I knew I should probably try, and the dish I had had no interest in whatsoever.
What arrived was a beige bowl of seemingly overcooked, rustically diced pork, peeled potatoes, a few out-of-normal-context-clams, and a watery sauce that was, at best, ochre in appearance.
The first bite turned initial impressions on their head. The second, third, and however many more it took until I licked the plate clean, sent my taste buds spinning, and left an indelible mark.
That grey-beige pork was braised shoulder of porco preto (i.e. the Portuguese reared and titled variant of the black Iberian pig). It was succulent, nutty, intense, not at all overcooked, and generally mind-blowing.
The clay coloured sauce involved a dry, perhaps oxidised/fortified, sherry-like wine, a sweet red pepper paste, and I think some long-wilted coriander leaves too.
Finally, those briny clams provided the ultimate seasoning — they somehow managed to cut through, raise up and bind together all other flavours. It was a revelation. Turns our that rock pool and a piggy mud bath beats surf and turf.
This is not that dish! But that particular match of pork and clams is something I frequently think about.
And on the rare occasion I turn to pork tenderloin (maybe you know it as fillet?), this combination, plus a splash of sherry, is my go to move. It’s salty, it’s luscious, it goes well with jarred peppers and crusty bread (or boiled potatoes if you must). What’s not to love?
The rest of the post — which offers a some general pointers for preparing and cooking clams, a few more about cooking pork tenderloin, plus the (extremely tasty) pork and clam recipe — is for paid subscribers. Please do consider becoming one! At the moment it’s £5 a month / £45 a year, for which you get unrestricted access to all recipe posts, to the ever growing archive, to ‘Good Things’ posts and cookbook giveaways. Plus you support this publication and my work more generally (and that’s very much appreciated).
On cooking clams
