How to Make Crispy Vinha D’Alhos
A Portuguese crispy pork dish served during the holidays.
Vinha D’Alhos (vee-nah dosh) is a Portuguese dish that is commonly served during the holidays. Similar to adobo, Vinha D’Alhos is pork marinated in vinegar and spices. In every household, the recipe will vary but I found that this recipe is very onolicious!
Traditional
Vinha D’Alhos graced Hawaii’s tables when the Portuguese came to the islands to work during the plantation era. Among the numerous traditions/cultures that the Portuguese brought, this dish is remembered being served during the holidays. The recipe can be traced back to Azores and Madeira. It is also known as Carne de vinha d’alhos. The name means ‘meat in garlic marinade.’
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Tips
Vinha D’Alhos is an explosion of flavor. It is meat marinated in vinegar, wine, garlic, and seasonings. I found that the longer you let the meat marinate, the more flavors the meat will retain. Because the meat is being marinated in vinegar, it will prolong or reduce the expiration of the meat.
Keep an eye out when the meat is simmering in the pot as you wait for the liquid to reduce. You don’t want the liquids to reduce where the meat sticks to the bottom of the pot. If you struggle with this problem, I’d recommend using a non stick skillet to simmer and fry the meat. You will probably have to do it in batches if you don’t have a big enough skillet to carry all of the meat.
You could also reserve some of the liquids to use as a dipping sauce for the meat. You could also opt out of frying the meat if you’d like have your meat tender, but personally I like having the extra crisp 🙂
Crispy Vinha D’Alhos
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork butt/shoulder
- 1 1/2 cup red wine vinegar substitute distilled vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 Hawaiian chili peppers substitute red jalapeños or serrano peppers
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp Hawaiian salt
- 2 tbsp allspice
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Cut the pork into 1 inch cubes or larger pieces. It will shrink once it is cooked. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Vinegar, water, chili peppers, garlic, Hawaiian salt, allspice, and bay leaves.
- Add all of the pork cubes and marinade to a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Seal and massage the meat to make sure all of the marinade covers the meat. Let it marinade in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add all of the contents in the Ziploc bag. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer until all of the liquids have evaporated. About An hour and twenty minutes. Remove pot from heat.
- Pan fry the meat on a nonstick skillet pan until all sides are crispy. About 30 seconds on each side. Serve immediately with a side of rice or sweet Portuguese bread. Enjoy!
Mahalo plenty sistah.
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.my family loved it.will be sharing this recipe with my friends.they will like it.
Glad it turned out well!