Carne de porco à alentejana — pork with clams and potatoes

Cut the pork shoulder into cubes about 2 cm across. Finely chop the garlic. In a bowl, combine the meat with all the wine, red pepper paste, garlic, pepper and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Do not add salt at this stage: the paste and clams contribute plenty to the sauce. Set the olive oil and water aside for frying and braising.

Discard clams with cracked shells and any open ones that do not close when gently tapped. Briefly rinse the rest under cold running water and scrub the shells with a brush if needed. Drain and refrigerate until cooking in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, without submerging them in water and without sealing the container airtight. Use them the same day, following the date on the packaging. Wash your hands, dishes and work surface after handling raw meat and clams.

After marinating, drain the meat over a bowl, saving all the marinade with the garlic and bay leaves. Let the pieces drain well. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid and a capacity of about 4–5 l, heat 20 g olive oil. Brown the meat in two batches over medium-high heat for about 8–10 minutes in total, turning until the surfaces are browned. Set the first batch on a plate, then return it to the pot with any juices it has released.

Pour all the reserved marinade and 100 ml water over the meat. Bring to a brisk boil and boil for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover and braise gently for about 35–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are tender and easy to cut through. Firmer shoulder may need a few minutes longer. If the sauce starts to stick, add a small amount of water, up to an extra 50 ml at most. Do not discard the sauce or rendered fat.

After the meat has been braising for about 20 minutes, cut the potatoes into cubes about 1.5 cm across and dry thoroughly. In a large skillet about 30 cm in diameter, heat 50 g olive oil, add the potatoes and toss to coat. Fry over medium heat with the lid on for 8–10 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove the lid and fry for about another 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potatoes are tender in the center and browned on several sides. Sprinkle with all 3 g salt. Leave in the skillet without covering; do not pour away the oil and do not drain the potatoes on paper towels.

Once the meat is tender, remove both bay leaves. If the sauce is very watery, simmer it without the lid for 2–3 minutes. Increase the heat, bring the sauce to a boil and add the drained clams. Cover and cook for about 5–8 minutes from when steam starts rising again, carefully shaking the pot once, until the shells open. Discard all clams that remain closed after cooking; do not force them open. Keep all the sauce and liquid released by the cooked clams.

Finely chop the cilantro. Remove the pot from the heat and add all the lemon juice and cilantro. Stir gently, without breaking the shells. Let the red pepper paste and clams provide the salt in the sauce; the potatoes have already been seasoned separately.

Divide all the potatoes into four portions, transferring the olive oil left in the skillet onto the plates as well. Add all the pork, open clams and sauce. Serve immediately so the potatoes keep their browned edges, leaving some above the sauce. The shells are only for presentation and are not part of the edible portion. Remove the bay leaves, discarded clams and empty shells from the dish; all the remaining sauce and fat are intended to be eaten.