Best Pork And Clams Recipes

PORTUGUESE PORK AND CLAMS

Steps:

• To Marinate: Combine the wine, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and cumin in a nonporous glass dish or bowl. Mix together. Add pork and toss to coat. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate to marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Remove pork from dish or bowl (reserving marinade) and add to skillet; brown quickly, then add potato cubes, reserved marinade, beans, cayenne pepper and clams or mussels. Cook until open, about 7 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

PORTUGUESE-STYLE PORK AND CLAMS WITH CHORIZO AND FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the pork fat and wait 1 minute. Taste a piece of the pork confit to see if it needs more seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Place the pork confit in the pan, being careful not to crowd it. (You may need to do this in two pans or two batches.) Sear the pork 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. When the first side is nicely caramelized, turn the pork cubes over, and brown them on all sides. Stir in the fried potatoes, heat them through, and coat them well with the pork fat. Transfer the pan to the oven to keep it warm.
• Heat a Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Crumble the chorizo into the pan, and sauté about 4 minutes, until the sausage is crisped on one side but not fully cooked. Add the shallots and thyme, stirring to coat them with the chorizo oil. Add the clams and the roasted tomatoes, stirring for about 2 minutes to combine all the ingredients and coat the clams. Pour in the vermouth and cover the pan. Let the clams steam a few minutes, until they open. Remove the lid and add the stock. Discard any unopened clams. Bring to a simmer, stirring well to combine the flavors, and swirl in the butter. Taste for seasoning. Spoon the clams and chorizo into a large, warm, shallow bowl.
• Meanwhile, take the pork out of the oven and return it to the stove, over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir well, so that it coats the meat and potatoes. After a minute or two, when the garlic is translucent and just starting to color, stir in the parsley. Arrange the pork and potatoes over the clams and chorizo.
• Serve with a large serving spoon and lots of crusty bread. If you are feeling over the top, a bowl of aïoli would really gild the lily (see page 148).
• Fried Potatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, and toss well with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and roast the potatoes about 50 minutes, until they're tender. (The time will really depend on size, age, and variety of potatoes.) When the potatoes have cooled, peel them, discard the bay leaves and thyme, and crumble the potatoes into chunky pieces with your hands.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. (To get the potatoes nicely browned and crisp, don't overcrowd them. You may have to use two pans or brown them in batches.) Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait 1 more minute. Add the crumbled potatoes, and season with the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Sauté the potatoes until they are crispy on one side. (Don't try to move them or turn them if they are stuck to the pan; they will eventually release themselves, just be patient.) After about 8 minutes, when they've browned nicely on the first side, stir them to let them color on all sides. Serve immediately, or set aside on a baking sheet.
• Roasted Tomatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, toss them with the olive oil, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven 30 to 40 minutes, until their skins blister and shrivel. When the tomatoes have cooled, pull off their skins and crush them gently with your hands.
• Note
• This is one of the more involved recipes in this book, but if you plan ahead and prep well, it's actually simple the evening of the dinner. Confit the pork a day or two in advance (remember, it will need to sit in the brine for 2 days before that!). Roast the tomatoes and potatoes in the morning, and then, closer to dinnertime, fry the potatoes and set them aside. The sautéing of the pork and steaming of the clams should be done at the last minute.

PORK AND CLAMS

Steps:

• In a small food processor, combine garlic, salt, pepper flakes and paprika. Process until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until smooth. In a glass mixing bowl, toss the meat with the pureed mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator, to marinate at least 8 hours, overnight if possible. In a cataplana (or a large saute pan with a lid), over medium heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the pork and saute for 4 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, and season with salt. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove any shells that do not open. Stir in the parsley. Serve in individual serving bowls with crusty bread.

PORK AND CLAMS (AMEIJOAS NA CATAPLANA)

Steps:

• Wash clams thoroughly under running water, and discard any that do not close when tapped, which means they are dead.
• Soak overnight in salt water, to expel sand.
• Heat olive oil in a (cataplanda) cast iron dutch oven.
• Fry onions and garlic until soft and golden.
• Add pork and brown on all sides.
• Add clams and dry white wine.
• Increase heat, and cook briskly, shaking pan until wine has reduced.
• Add tomatoes, coriander or parsley, cayenne pepper,salt, and black pepper.
• Cover tightly and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until pork is tender.
• Traditionaly the"Cataplana" (cast iron dutch oven) is brought to the table for serving.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS WITH CLAMS AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut 1/4 inch off tops of garlic heads and put heads, cut sides up, on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap tightly in foil, then roast in oven until garlic is soft when pierced with tip of a knife, about 45 minutes.
• While garlic roasts, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add bay leaves and cook, stirring, until leaves begin to brown, about 10 seconds. Reduce heat to moderate, then add onion, carrot, celery, and chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, red-pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, then add broth and reserved clam juice. Simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
• While tomato sauce simmers, squeeze pulp from garlic cloves and force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl using a rubber spatula, discarding solids. Whisk purée into tomato sauce. Discard bay leaves and cloves, then keep sauce warm while grilling chops.
• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
• Pat pork chops dry and sprinkle on both sides with salt. Grill pork chops on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of a chop (do not touch bone) registers 145°F, 12 to 14 minutes total. Transfer chops to a plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
• Add clams to sauce and cook just until clams plump and edges begin to curl, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir parsley into sauce along with any meat juices accumulated on plate.
• Serve chops topped with clams and sauce.

PORK CHOPS AND CLAMS IN GARLIC BROTH

Steps:

• Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper, and set aside on a plate for 10 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or a large, deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, and cook, flipping once, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer pork chops to a plate, and cover with parchment paper and then foil to keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Stir in tomatoes, onion, garlic, a pinch of salt, the bay leaves, paprika, and red-pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes and onion have softened, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Add wine, and raise heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Stir in stock. Return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, and add clams to pot. Cover, and cook until clams open, 3 to 5 minutes (discard any that have not opened after 5 minutes). Discard bay leaves.
• Return pork chops to pot. Turn to coat with sauce, and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer pork chops and clams to a deep platter, and pour broth over top. Serve immediately.

EAST MEETS PORTUGAL 'ALENTEJANA' -- PORK AND CLAMS EAST MEETS WEST STYLE

Steps:

• Place the clams, salt and cornmeal in a bowl and completely cover with cold water. Let them soak and purge for 1 hour. Drain, rinse and set aside. In a hot saute pan, coat lightly with oil and saute half of the garlic and ginger. Add the zucchinis and caramelize, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and add drained clams.
• Deglaze with half of the wine and shaoxing and cover. Add a little water if needed if clams do not fully open. Once clams are open, set aside. (discard any that do not open). Keep liquid. Wipe pan out and coat with oil on high heat. Season the pork brisket with salt and paprika and brown on all sides. Add onions and caramelize. Add black beans.
• Deglaze with remaining shaoxing and wine and reduce by 50 percent. Add chicken stock and half of the reserved clam juice. Check for seasoning and add more clam juice if necessary. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 60 percent. Check again for seasoning and add zucchinis and clams. Add lemon juice and whisk in butter. Check one more time for flavor. While the sauce is reducing, season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and sear in a hot, oiled pan. Brown well on all sides and finish in a 375 degree oven until medium, about 10 minutes.
• For the potatoes, heat the curry oil to 375 degrees and first blanch the potatoes until lightly brown. This can and should be done in advance. Right before serving, fry again, this time until golden brown, drain well, season with salt, and toss with cilantro. (frying it twice produces a very crisp product).
• PLATING Using an o-ring in the center of the plate, fill with the pork sauce. Top with fried potatoes. Cut each pork tenderloin into 3 equal pieces and surround ring. Pull ring off and serve.
• Make a paste with curry powder, water salt and slowly add oil. Let stand for 1 hour to settle. Use top, yellow oil for garnish or frying.

PORK SHOULDER WITH ROASTED CLAMS AND FRESNO CHILES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, 4 cloves garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Place pork in a roasting pan and rub sugar mixture all over pork. Cover and transfer to refrigerator; let marinate for 2 hours.
• Remove pork from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Brush rub off of pork; transfer to oven and roast for 45 minutes. Decrease temperature to 250 degrees. Cook until meat is very tender and shreds easily, about 8 hours. Immediately shred meat with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic, shallots, and chiles; cook stirring, until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes. Add clams and wine; cover and cook until clams open, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour clams over pork; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.