Pork With Clams

Photo: mixbakestir

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds small clams in shells

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1 /2 inch thick cubes

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

4 ounces white wine

juice of half a lemon

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons heaped chopped cilantro

Preparation

Clean and rinse clams. Drain and leave in colander.

Heat oil in a large wide pan and add pork. Saute over high heat until golden and a bit crusty on both sides. Season with salt and pepper and add the onion. Continue to sauté until onion is soft and golden, then add the garlic and cook until you start to smell it. Add the wine and let it bubble up and thicken slightly.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water, put a lid on the pan and simmer over low heat for 1 1/4 hours, turning the meat a couple of times. Add a little more water if necessary - there should be some slightly thickened sauce in the pan.

Add the clams and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up high, put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes until the clam shells open. If they haven't all opened, put the lid back on and give them another chance for a few more minutes, then discard any that will not open.

Meanwhile, parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes in boiling water, drain well and dry with a paper towel. Fry in plenty of olive oil until crisp, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve immediately.

Check the seasoning of the pork and clams, stir in the cilantro and serve.

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About

We have made this exactly as it appears (delicious) and have also lightened it up with a few variations. Instead of pork shoulder, we have substituted pork tenderloin, a less fatty cut that requires a shorter cooking time, 30 minutes as opposed to the 1 1/4 for the pork shoulder. Also, instead of frying the potatoes in oil, we have simply added them to the pot ten minutes before the clams.

Whatever you do, don't forget to serve it with a chunk of crusty peasant bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.