Painho de Portalegre

This smoked sausage is made with pork from the Alentejo breed of pigs, which are reared and slaughtered exclusively in the region of Portalegre. Portalegre is located near the mountainous range of Serra de São Mamede, with a microclimate that is especially well-suited to pig and cattle farming.

The only ingredients in painho sausage are Alentejo pork meat and fat, garlic, paprika, salt, and wine. To produce the sausage, the meat and fat are diced and mixed with the rest of ingredients into a coarse paste, which is then stuffed into sausage casings and smoked.

Typical painho is dark red with a firm consistency, and its flavor is slightly salty and occasionally spicy, with pronounced smoky notes. Painho can be stored in extra virgin olive oil, served as cold cuts, or used as a key ingredient in many traditional regional dishes.