Carne de Porco Alentejano

This meat is taken from Alentejo pigs, a traditional Mediterranean breed with African origins. Its fine-grained, tasty, succulent meat is the result of a special diet of acorns and herbs that the animals graze on. The color of the meat ranges from pale to dark pink depending on the age of the animal. Carne de Porco Alentejano is used in the production of sausages, ham, bacon, farinheiras, morcilhas, and black puddings in Barrancos and Portalegre.

As this pork is very flavorful, it is usually prepared with as little seasoning as possible, and most traditional recipes use nothing more than salt, olive oil, garlic, ground pepper, and herbs such as coriander, parsley, or bay leaf.