Carne Vinho D'Alhos (serves 6-10, it's very rich)

This is very pungent and rich, if you like pork vindaloo you should like this recipe.

1.5kg boned pork shoulder/pork neck with a bit of fat
1 bottle dry white wine
2 cups wine vinegar *
2 cups cider vinegar
4 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
15-20 garlic cloves, crushed **
5 red chillies, sliced ***
Thickly sliced day old bread, cut in 4
Orange slices ****

Layer pork in a large ceramic bowl or Tupperware container (I slice it lengthwise to make it thinner); add the wine, vinegar, bay leaves, chillies, salt and pepper. Cover and marinate for at least 3 days, stirring daily. When ready to cook the pork, transfer to large heavy pot (not iron), add the marinade, cover and simmer over low heat for 1/2 hour; drain pork.
Quickly moisten the bread slices by touching each side to the surface of the hot marinade; spread on paper towelling and let dry (or dry in oven/grill).
Raise the heat under the marinade so that it bubbles gently, and boil uncovered to reduce while you proceed with the recipe, add a little sugar if you want to cut the sourness of the vinegar a little..
In a heavy frying pan, brown pork lightly on both sides in olive oil and butter over medium high heat.
Remove and keep warm.
Quickly brown bread on both sides in the pan drippings, adding more olive oil and butter as needed.
To serve, arrange bread on a platter, top with overlapping sliced pork, then spoon some of the reduced marinade on top.
Serve the rest of the marinade as gravy.

Accompany with mashed potatoes, or sweet potato, other vegetables of your choice and a young fruity red wine.

* Plain vinegar can be used instead of wine vinegar for a stronger taste or watered down if you don't have wine vinegar.
** More garlic can be used if preferred.
*** More chilies can also be used.
**** Orange slices cleanse the palate

Alternative recipes:

Ferreira Family Recipe:

Ingredients:
10 lbs pork (best from leg, so that the pork is meaty, not too much bone)
2 or more heads of garlic
4-6 tsp dry oregano
White vinegar (diluted 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water), or wine vinegar, undiluted
Salt to taste
Oil for frying pork

Preparation:

1. Cut pork into pieces, bigger than desired serving sizes since frying will reduce pork
2. Rub salt thoroughly into pieces of pork
3. Blend garlic, oregano and vinegar together
4. Place pork in glass or earthenware jar
5. Pour vinegar mixture over pork to cover all the pieces. Meat must be completely submerged in marinade mixture.
6. Cover and store for 2-3 days.

Cooking :

7. Remove required number of pieces and boil in small amount of liquid for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Cover while boiling.
8. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or frying pan. Fry pork until golden brown, turning occasionally.
9. Remove pork from frying pan and drain on absorbent paper.

http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/port/carne_assada.html

http://www.recipecottage.com/portuguese/carne-assada01.html

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~portwestind/diaspora/people_culture/garlic_pork.htm