Every region of Portugal is quietly convinced its pork is the best pork, and Minho has a strong case. Rojões are cubes of pork shoulder marinated overnight in white wine, garlic, bay and paprika, then fried hard and fast until the outside turns dark gold and shattery while the inside stays juicy. It is Minho cooking at its most unapologetic: rich, garlicky, a little smoky, built for a table that is going to sit around it for a while.

In the north, rojões almost never travel alone. They show up next to batatas a murro (potatoes roasted whole and smashed), a scatter of orange wedges to cut the richness, and very often a spoonful of sarrabulho rice on the side; our papas de sarrabulho recipe on the site comes from the same family of Minho pork traditions. The orange is not decoration. Squeeze it right over the hot pork and you will see why it earned its place on the plate.

In an American kitchen, a heavy cast-iron skillet is the best tool. Do not crowd the pan, ever, because crowded pork steams instead of frying and you lose the crackly edge that makes the dish worth making. With an overnight marinade and a hot pan, it comes together in under an hour of actual cooking.

Rojões à Moda do Minho Recipe

What you need

Ingredients

For the pork and marinade:
2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup dry white wine
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional but traditional
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
For frying and serving:
3 tablespoons lard, or a mix of lard and olive oil
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Vegetable oil, for frying the potatoes
1 orange, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving

Cook along

Instructions

The night before, combine the pork with the wine, garlic, bay leaves, both paprikas, salt, pepper and vinegar in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Drain the pork well in a colander, reserving the marinade, and pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Dry meat browns; wet meat steams.
Fry the potato cubes in about 1 inch of vegetable oil until deep golden and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with salt, and set aside.
Heat the lard in a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two or three batches so you never crowd the pan, brown the pork on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a plate as it finishes.
Return all the pork to the skillet. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the reserved marinade, scraping up the browned bits, and let it bubble and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes until it clings to the meat as a dark, glossy glaze.
Pile the pork onto a platter with the fried potatoes, scatter with parsley, and tuck the orange and lemon wedges around the edge for squeezing at the table.