CHANFANA (POIARES GOAT STEW BRAISED IN RED WINE)

SOURCE: ANA PATULEIA ORTINS. AUTHENTIC PORTUGUESE COOKING: MORE THAN 185 CLASSIC MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE RECIPES OF THE AZORES, MADEIRA, AND CONTINENTAL PORTUGAL.

Among the six official autochthonous goat breeds of Portugal, the Serrana is the most highly reputed caprid in the country due to its historical role as an export commodity dating back to the colonization of Brazil, Uruguay, and Venezuela. If the Serranas come from the northern Beira Litoral province, where shepherds allow their ruminants to freely graze on wild mountain shrubs and grasses, then its butchered meat earns a protected geographical indication title of Cabrito de Gralheira. Due to its lean but tender and juicy flesh, the pale to bright pink Gralheira chevon has a unique distinct flavor, thus making it highly prized for its versatility in goat cookery, such as the famed national stew, Chanfana of Vila Nova de Poiares. By tradition, Chanfana must braise in an ebonic caçoilo of red wine and onions to provide a beautiful chromatic contrast to the mahogany-charred meat. However, in the absence or rarity of the heatproof black clay pot, Portuguese cooking expert, Ana Patuleia Ortins, advises having a Spanish cazuela or a metal roasting pan as a proxy cookware.

Ingredients

3 to 5 large garlic cloves

1 large bay leaf, preferably Turkish or Greek, split in half

1/2 cup/30 grams coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

2 teaspoons/5 grams sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon/1 gram crushed dried chile pepper, preferably Peri-peri OR cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon/18 grams salt

5 pounds/2.3 kg goat meat, preferably the cuts taken from the shoulder or ribs, skinned and cut into 2.5- to 3 -inch/6.5 to 7.6-cm chunks

3 cups/750 ml fruity and dry red wine

1/4 cup/60 mL olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

OPTIONAL: 2 peppermint leaves, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

4 ounces/113 grams coarsely chopped salted pork OR bacon

Specific Equipment

Large deep-bottomed mixing bowl

Large deep-bottomed pre-soaked unglazed clay pot, preferably a Portuguese caçoilo or Spanish cazuela, OR metal roasting pan

Serves 6

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic, bay leaf, parsley, paprika, chile pepper or cayenne pepper, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. Toss in the goat until all pieces are evenly coated. Pour in the red wine until the liquid completely covers the meat and drizzle the top with olive oil. Marinate the goat, turning the pieces several times, for 6 hours under room temperature or overnight inside a refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.

3. Lay half of the onions on the bottom of the clay pot or roasting pan. Transfer the goat pieces over the onions and pour over the red wine marinade. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the onions, mint leaves, and salted pork or bacon. Cover the clay pot or roasting pan tightly with a foil. and braise inside the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until goat pieces are tender.

3. Remove the foil from the clay pot or roasting and continue braising, basting the goat with the braising liquid, for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the meat pieces fall off bone and are tender enough to be pierced by a fork.

4. Remove the stew from the oven. Serve as its from the clay pot. Otherwise, transfer the goat pieces to a serving dish and pour over the liquid.