Alentejo, Portugal
The most striking combination in Portuguese cooking — cubed pork, marinated in a massa de pimentão (sweet red pepper paste), sautéed until caramelised, then combined with purged clams steamed open in the same pan, finished with lemon and cilantro. The combination of pork and shellfish seems counterintuitive until you eat it, whereupon it seems inevitable. The dish comes from the Alentejo, Portugal's interior cork-oak plain. The pork was local; the clams came in by cart from the Setúbal peninsula. The massa de pimentão — red peppers fermented in salt and olive oil — is the critical flavour element that distinguishes this from any other pork-and-clam combination.
The marinade must include massa de pimentão — not just paprika. Marinate the pork for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Brown the pork in batches over high heat — this caramelisation is the flavour base. Deglaze with white wine, add the clams, seal and cook until open (4-5 minutes). Never stir after adding the clams — agitation opens them before they're ready. Finish with lemon juice and cilantro off the heat.
Massa de pimentão is made from red peppers blended with salt and fermented/dried at room temperature for several days — it is available from Portuguese specialty food shops. If unavailable, roasted red pepper purée combined with sweet paprika is the closest substitute. Serve with fried potatoes (batatas fritas) and a green salad. Pair with Alentejano white wine or a light red from the Alentejo.
Under-browning the pork — pale pork produces no flavour from the fond. Not marinating long enough. Stirring after the clams are added. Adding lemon during cooking — it toughens the clams.
My Portugal by George Mendes