This past winter my husband and I were fortunate to be able to travel to São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores. One of a group of nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean 1500 km west of Portugal, the islands have a temperate climate. When we were there in late January it was a comfortable 17 C every day, great weather for walking and taking in the island’s beautiful scenery.
I’m hard-pressed to think of anything I didn’t like about the trip. It felt very safe — the people were friendly and most spoke some English so it was easy to get around. Within a few minutes’ walk of our hotel room in central Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the Azores with a population of 68,000, there were many small restaurants featuring local cuisine made using local ingredients. As a bonus, we were there in the off-season so the chefs and serving staff had time to chat with us and took great pride in sharing their local food and drink.
Agriculture is one of the main drivers of the economy in the Azores. On São Miguel (Portuguese for St. Michael), there are more cows than people. The cows are pastured year-round on the grassy slopes of the volcanic mountains (São Miguel’s nickname is Ilha Verde, or the Green Island).
Farmers generally take their mobile milking machines to the pastures and then transport the milk in tanks on the backs of their pickup trucks to milk depots. The islands are known for the many cheeses produced there which are also shipped to the mainland.
Since my return home, I’ve been combing through cookbooks and cooking blogs, and asking
Nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon are frequently added to meat dishes in the Azores. A trip to Sao Miguel, the largest island in the Azores, was the inspiration for this Portuguese-style pulled pork sandwich recipe.
friends whose families hail from Portugal or the Azores, for recipes. Interestingly, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon are frequently added to their meat dishes. This was the inspiration for this Portuguese-style pulled pork sandwich recipe. We are likely more familiar with the Southern US-style Pulled Pork made with barbeque sauce which seems to be almost ubiquitous these days. Many restaurant menus feature sandwiches, tacos, nachos, and other dishes made with this sticky-sweet meat. This Portuguese-style pulled pork cooked in a wine sauce makes a nice change from the usual fare.
Using a pork shoulder which is typically a tougher, fattier cut keeps the meat moist.
Serve the cooked pork on a bun (I found buns labelled as Portuguese buns in the bakery section of my local grocery store. Hamburger buns or slider buns for a party would also work.) Alternatively, you can serve it over rice instead of a bun.
It’s great for feeding a crowd or individual servings can be warmed up for a staggered meal time or dinner on-the-fly.
Portuguese-Style Pulled Pork
Ingredients
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp paprika
3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
Portuguese buns or large hamburger buns, split in half lengthwise (optional)
Method
Place the pork in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the garlic, bay leaves, seasonings, wine and broth and pour over the pork. Turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight. Next day, transfer the pork mixture to the slow cooker. Add the onion. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Remove the bay leaves. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. (If there is a lot of fat and you have the time, it’s easier to skim the fat after chilling the cooking liquid.) Return the shredded meat to the crock pot and stir gently to reincorporate cooking liquid. Toast the buns if desired. Use a slotted spoon to serve the pork on the buns or serve over rice.
— Helen Lammers-Helps