Portuguese pork picadinho

Pork picadinho is the beef version’s equally beloved sibling (that recipe is also on the site): cubes of pork shoulder simmered with wine, smoked paprika, cumin and vegetables until the pot smells like a Portuguese country kitchen at lunchtime.

Pork shoulder is generous meat — forgiving, flavorful, and happiest after a slow hour in wine and tomato. The peas at the end are the traditional finishing color.

Rice, crusty bread or fried potatoes underneath: choose your foundation and let the sauce do its work.

Pork Picadinho Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: about 1 hour 15 minutes · Total: about 1½ hours · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~334 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into small cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• ½ cup frozen peas
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the pork in the olive oil, 6 to 8 minutes; remove and set aside.
2. Soften the onion and garlic, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the tomato and paste for 5 minutes more.
3. Return the pork, season with the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, add the bay leaf, and deglaze with the wine.
4. Add the water, carrots and potatoes. Boil, then cover and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender.
5. Stir in the peas for the final 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning, and serve hot with parsley on top.

Recipe Notes

• Pork shoulder’s marbling is the flavor budget — leaner cuts dry out here.
• A spoonful of massa de pimentão in the marinade makes it distinctly Alentejan.
• The beef version cooks longer but argues just as persuasively — both recipes are on the site.