Portuguese Pimento Paste Recipes

HOMEMADE PIMENTA MOIDA RECIPE ( PORTUGUESE PIMENTO PASTE)

Steps:

• Rinse each pepper and cut into halves.
• Remove stem and seeds, pat dry the peppers and set aside.
• Add the peppers and salt into a food processor and blend until paste like consistency.
• If you don't have a food processor, you can use any type of grinder. Grind the pepper then add the salt and mix until well combine.
• Transfer the pimento paste ( pimenta moida) into a bowl, you will notice it start to boil.
• Cover the bowl and let the peppers ferment at room temperature for 3-4 days.
• The pimenta moida will be ready once the fermentation stops and it no longer looks like the peppers are boiling.
• Add in the vinegar and stir until well combined.
• Transfer the pepper paste into cleaned glass jars with air tight lids.
• You can bypass the fermentation process by boiling the crushed peppers in a medium size pot for about 5 minutes. Then add the salt and vinegar and mix together. Transfer to air tight glass jars.
• Keep stored at room temperature until ready to use. Once jar is opened the pimento paste needs to be refrigerated.

PORTUGUESE MARINATED PORK (TORRESMOS DE VINHA D'ALHOS)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, add the garlic, pimento paste, lime juice, white wine, salt and hot sauce.
• Mix the wine mixture well to dissolve the salt.
• Cut the pork into large cubes.
• Place the pork pieces in a large freezer bag (with seal) and pour the garlic and wine mixture over the meat.
• Remove most of the air from the bag and seal.
• With the bag sealed, move the meat and marinade around until all the meat is well coated.
• Place the bag in the fridge overnight.
• Place a large deep frying pan on the stove and heat to medium high.
• Pour the meat and marinade into the hot pan.
• Distribute the meat evenly in the pan.
• The marinade will reach a slow simmer. Let the meat (turn pieces occasionally) cook uncovered until the garlic and wine mixture has reduced substantially. This will take about 30 minutes.
• Once there's only a little bit of marinade at the bottom, add the oil.
• Fry the pieces of meat in the oil and remaining marinade until the edges look seared but not burnt.
• Transfer the pieces of pork to a serving dish.
• Scrape the browned bits of meat and flavoured oil and add over the pork.

BIFANA (PORTUGUESE PORK CUTLETS)

Steps:

• 1. Place pork cutlets in a large heavy plastic ziptop bag and place in a large bowl.
• 2. In a mixing bowl, combine one cup of the wine, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, 1 tbsp pimento paste (1/2 tbsp if using hot), 1/4 tsp paprika and piri-piri sauce. Pour this mixture over pork, making sure all meat is covered and seal bag.
• 3. Refrigerate for severl hours or overnight, turning bag frequently.
• 4. Bring meat to room temperature before cooking; to cook, heat skillet over med-high heat and melt lard, cook pork in batches. When pork is sauteed, drain off the fat and add remaining wine (1/4 cup), remaining pimento paste (1 tbsp, 1/2 tbsp if using hot), remaining paprika (1/4 tsp) to the skillet, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
• 5. Bring to a boil, stirring and scrapping up any brown bits. Return pork to the skillet, reduce heat to low and cook for a couple minutes.
• 6. Serve pork on fresh Portuguese buns (Papo Secos) topped with sauteed onions and about a tsp of cooking sauce.

PORTUGUESE SQUID IN GARLIC SAUCE OR "LULA DAS RIBEIRAS"

Steps:

• Place the squid in a large pot and add water just until below the top edge of the squid (don't fully cover the squid pieces).
• Bring the water to a boil and then lower the temperature and simmer for about 25 minutes.
• While the quid is simmering in the water, whisk together the garlic, pimento paste, cinnamon, cumin, tomato paste, salt, beer and wine.
• Once the squid has simmered until tender, discard the water and leave the squid pieces in the pot.
• Add the sauce mixture and oil, and stir.
• Heat the mixture on medium until it starts to bubble, reduce the temperature slightly, and simmer until the sauce has almost completely reduced. Stir occasionally. Ours took about 50 minutes to cook completely.
• The squid pieces will soak up the sauce and you should have very little sauce left on the bottom.
• Serve hot!

OVEN ROASTED PIMENTO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees,
• Generously salt and pepper chicken breasts.
• Lay chicken on wire rack over a baking sheet.
• In a small blender or food processor, add pimentos (with juice from the jar), garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil.
• Blend until a paste forms.
• Smother both sides of chicken in pimento paste.
• Bake 25 minutes, until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees (time might fluctuate depending on your oven and the size of your chicken breasts.)
• Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
• Drizzle with fresh lime juice and serve!

PORTUGUESE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken on cutting board, breast-side down. Use a pair of poultry shears or heavy-duty kitchen scissors to cut along either side of the bird's backbone; remove. Turn the chicken over; use palms to press on breast bones to flatten the chicken. Using a sharp, heavy knife, cut the chicken between breast halves. The chicken will be in 2, flat pieces.
• Place an ovenproof cooling rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and pimento paste, then rub over the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a rack, then pour 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup wine over the chicken. Roast 30 minutes; turn the chicken over and pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup wine over the chicken. Roast the chicken until golden, moist, and opaque throughout, about 30 minutes.

BIFANA (PORTUGUESE PORK CUTLETS)

Steps:

• Rinse the pork cutlets and then pat dry with paper towels.
• Place pork in a large heavy plastic bag (like a freezer ziploc bag) and place in a large bowl.
• In a mixing bowl, combine one cup of the wine, the vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp of the pimento paste, 1/4 tsp of the paprika, peppercorns, cloves and piri-piri sauce.
• Pour this over pork, make sure all meat is coated, and seal the bag.
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning bag over in bowl frequently.
• Bring meat to room temperature before cooking.
• To cook, remove pork from marinade and lightly pat pork dry with paper towels.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt lard, then cook pork in batches in hot lard; if your pork is thin it will likely only take a minute per side, at the most.
• When all the pork has been sauteed, drain off the fat and add the remaining wine (1/4 cup), remaining pimento paste (1/4 tsp), remaining paprika (1/4 tsp) to the skillet, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring this to a boil, stirring the pan to get up any brown bits.
• Return all the pork to the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook for about another minute.

PORTUGUESE SWEET RED PEPPER PASTE (MASSA DE PIMENTãO)

Steps:

• Set a colander inside a large noncorrosive pan or dish with sides. (You may also use a wooden produce crate with narrow spaces between the slats found at a local produce market as a colander; you would be half-way to Portugal in your mind, at least.).
• Pour a 1-inch layer of salt into the colander to form the base. Some salt will seep out.).
• Place a layer of peppers, skin side up, on the salt, pressing the peppers into the salt. UNCURL EVEN THE SMALLEST PART OF THE PEPPER, otherwise mold will form.
• Cover with a 1/2-inch layer of salt and the remaining peppers, ending with another 1/2-inch layer of salt. Place a heavy dish or bowl on top to weight it down.
• Let stand for up to 5 days to allow the moisture to drain from the peppers. After the fourth day, the peppers should be thinner, about 1/4-inch or less. The salt will be damp and the amount of liquid draining will be barely a trickle.
• Shake off the excess salt and process the peppers briefly with either a hand-cranked grinder, food processor, or blender. The texture will not be smooth -- more like coarsely ground tomatoes.
• Fill the sterilized jars, leaving about an inch at the top. Pour olive oil over the top to a depth of 1/2 inch. Close the jar tightly and refrigerate.
• To use massa de pimentão, simply push aside the congealed olive oil with a spoon, remove what you need, replacing the oil and adding more, if necessary. Use sparingly.