My Grandmother's Alcatra de Carne

“Alcatra” is a traditional dish from Terceira, the island I live on. It is a pot roast that is cooked in large unglazed red clay pots. The pots are seasoned, and with each use get darker, and darker.  The simple spices, combined with onions, bacon and wine are what make this dish  flavorfull and so good. "Alcatra" is the Arabic word for "piece", and  it is  made with pieces of beef (round, shank, chuck). The additon of meat with bone in, makes all the difference, as the bones will give it more flavor. Every village, and everybodies grandmother has a different recipe for Alcatra, this one happens to be my grandmother's version. Shortly after I married, I took all of my ingredients, a notebook and pen over to my maternal grandmother's house. Where, while she put everything together, I wrote down her words of wisdom. Now I must say, she may or may not have forgotten something, but I follow this recipe as is, I don't mess arond with it, it's her recipe, just how she told it to me. You don´t mess with perfection. Now I am lucky enough to have a brick oven, where I can cook Alcatra, just as my grandmother's did, but this can also be cooked in a regular oven. They key is a long cooking time, it's what makes the meat fall off the fork tender. As for the unglazed claypot (alguidar), if you don't have one, no worries, use a roaster, or a dutch oven. Alcatra is not only restricted to meat, they can also be prepared with chicken, fish, rabbit, goat, beans and even octopus. Traditionally is was simply served with sweet bread (massa sovada), but there is no harm in serving it with some rice or potatoes. Don´t be put off by all of the photos, I just wanted to give you a step by step of how to put it together. It really is a simple dish make, but the end results are out of this world. I finally got it all translated, and on the blog. I have been asked so many times for the recipe... I am so proud to share it with you.  I hope you give it a try !

butter, garlic clove, whole allspice, sea salt, bay leaf

2 medium onions

cubes of bacon

beef, rump, round,shank chuck

use a good white wine, good wine makes good food, a red can also be used

unglazed clay cooking pot, seasoned, (alguidar)

finely chop the onions

grease the inside of the pot with some lard, or butter,  add 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 clove garlic, 8 whole allspice, and 1 bay leaf

next add half of the chopped onion, and half of the bacon

cut the meat into pieces, so that they fit in the clay pot

start at the bottom, with the bones, and work up, fitting in all the meat, like a puzzle

place the remaining onion and bacon, along the insides of the claypot and on topof the meat, add the remainding 14 whole allspice, on top add some knobs of butter

next add your wine mixed with water.... 2 parts white wine to 1 part water, fill the clay pot, using a knife to lift the meat, making sure there is liquid everywhere, fill up to the top of the dish

next cover with foil, poking some vents in it, place in a screaming hot oven, for atleast 7 hours, uncovering the last half an hour, during cooking time, more liquid may be added, if it seems to be drying up, new clay pots will absorb more liquid

1 presoaked unglazed 4-quart red-clay pot

lard or butter for greasing the clay pot
2 onions, finely diced
250 grams bacon, cubed
1 clove garlic,
 bay leaf
 2.5 kilos//5-pound rump or chuck roast, bone-in, cut into  pieces
22 whole allspice
1 tablespoon sea salt
6 tablespoons firm butter, cut into pieces
good white wine
water


 Preheat the oven 400ºf
Wash the meat you are using with some of the wine you will be using and some bay leaves.
Grease the claypot with some lard or butter.
To the bottom of the claypot, add 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 bay leaf, 8 whole allspice.
Next add half of the bacon and half of the diced onions.
Next add your meat, starting with the bones at the bottom of the pot, and working your way up, fit all the pieces in the claypot.
Next add the remainder of the bacon, the onions, and the 14 remaining allspice, fill in the side of the claypot, and covering the meat on top also.
Add some knobs of cold butter now.
 Next mix your wine with the water, 2 measures of wine mixed with one measure of water, you might have to do this more than once, extra liqid is alright to have, for adding to the Alcatra while it cooks.
Take the liquid and fill up the claypot, using a knife to lift the meat, making sure there is no air pockets, and it is filled with liquid, up to the top of the pot, covering the meat if possible.
Next cover with aluminum foil, poke some vents in it.
And place in the oven, it's not a bad idea to place it on top of a cookie sheet of pizza pan, in case the liqid boils over ( always does).
 I look to cook my Alcatra for atleast 7-8 hours, I cook it for3 hours at 400°F, then turned the oven down to 325°F and cook it the remainder of the the time.
During cooking, check to see if there is still liquid, if not add some of you wine and water mixture.
In the last half hour, uncover the claypot, and let the top brown. ( My grandmother would actually flip the meet over halfway through cooking-- this I do not do, the liqid is really hot, and it just scares me).



some notes:

**a roaster or dutch oven can be used also
** you can also make this in the crock pot
** the amount of meat will vary depending on the size of the pot you are cooking it in

** red wine can also be used, but will make the meat and gravy darker

**A new, unglazed clay pot needs to be seasoned to avoid passing an earthy flavor to food. To season, fill the pot with water and add several cabbage or collard leaves and some onion peelings. Then place the pot on a flame-proof diffuser over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 2 hours and then drain.

**When you want to cook in the pot,for the first couple of time... immerse it in water and soak for about 24 hours. Then proceed with the recipe by generously greasing the interior with butter.


** I hope I haven´t left anything out, please feel free to ask questions in the comments, and I will try to help you