Marinated Pork (Vinho d’alhos)
This recipe of Marinated Pork (Vinho d’alhos) is just another version of a popular Portuguese method of marinating pork before cooking. Marinating times can be for 24 hours more or less. Sometimes marination is much longer, especially when we make the pork sausages.
Serves 8 to 10
- 5 pounds pork loin roast
- 1 cup wine vinegar or as needed
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Jamaican allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper paste or chili substitute to taste
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
- In a non-corrosive bowl (ceramic or glass) place the roast. Mix the vinegar with the remaining ingredients and pour over the roast adding additional wine vinegar as needed to cover the meat.
- Cover tightly and marinate overnight or 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
To roast, reserve the marinade and place the pork in a roasting pan and cook at 350°F. for about two hours, not more. Baste periodically with the marinade.
To braise, place the roast and the marinade in a non-corrosive roasting pan. (This can be done as part of the overnight marinating, just covering with wrap. Then all you have to do is remove the wrap and pop it in.) Pre-heat your oven to 325 °F; baste periodically for 2-2½ hrs. The roast should be fork tender and have an internal temperature of 150 °F.
Note: You can also braise this marinated pork (vinho d’alhos) at a lower temperature like 300 °F for 3 ½ hours or even cook it in a large crockpot.
