This popular dish, known also as Carne Vinha-d'Alhos and as calvinadage, is usually served at Christmas time. For other versions see:

• Caribbean Connoisseur
• Eating the Guyanese Way
• Lusaweb Recipes
• In Mama's Kitchen (recipe from Ilka Hilton-Clarke)
• Spicy Caribbean Recipes of Jamaica
• TrinTob Cookbook
• Veni Mangé Restaurant
• Vernalisa's World Recipe Site

There are also recipes in local cookbooks, including one by Sylvia Hunt, and one in an American-authored cookbook on T&T, Callaloo, Calypso, and Carnival, by Dave DeWitt and Mary Jane Wilan. (The latter recipe is from the Coelho family in Trinidad.) Each family has their own special traditions! Garlic pork is known among Madeiran-Portuguese Americans as 'pickled pork.'

Ferreira Family Recipe:

Ingredients:

10 lbs pork (best from leg, so that the pork is meaty, not too much bone)
2 or more heads of garlic
4-6 tsp dry oregano
White vinegar (diluted 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water), or wine vinegar, undiluted
Salt to taste
Oil for frying pork

Preparation:

1. Cut pork into pieces, bigger than desired serving sizes since frying will reduce pork
2. Rub salt thoroughly into pieces of pork
3. Blend garlic, oregano and vinegar together
4. Place pork in glass or earthenware jar
5. Pour vinegar mixture over pork to cover all the pieces. Meat must be completely submerged in marinade mixture.
6. Cover and store for 2-3 days.

Cooking :

7. Remove required number of pieces and boil in small amount of liquid for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Cover while boiling.
8. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or frying pan. Fry pork until golden brown, turning occasionally.
9. Remove pork from frying pan and drain on absorbent paper.

Anthony Milne's Recipe (published in The Sunday Express, 22 December 1996, page 7, his mother is a Camacho, of Antigua, where there is a Portuguese-West Indian community).

From Polly B. Indar and Dorothy B. Ramesar, eds. Naparima Girls' High School Recipe Book. San Fernando: Rahaman Printery Ltd. 1988, p. 68

Ingredients:

5 lbs garlic pork
"Portuguese" (fine) thyme
Half a hot Congo or Habanero pepper
Quarter pound garlic
1 tablespoon salt
Vinegar

Method:

1. Cut pork into 3" pieces and wash with vinegar
2. Mince garlic, thyme and hot pepper. Mix with salt and some vinegar and add to pork.
3. Put pork in a clay jar or glass container and pour more vinegar to cover.
4. Store in a cool place for 3-4 days.
5. Bake or fry.

N.B. It is better to use pork with little fat.

CARNE DE VINHA D'ALHOS from Restaurante Julius, Valle, Lucília B. O Paladar Madeirense. Funchal: Tourism Authority, 1990s

6 pessoas
900 grs de lombo de porco (com alguma gordura)
10 fatias de pão
900 grs de batatinhas novas
2 batatas doces

Para a Vinha d'alhos

2 dl de vinho branco
2 dl de vinagre
1 cálice de vinho verdelho seco
sal grosso
8 dentes de alho picados
1 folha de louro, pimenta ou malagueta

Passe o lombo de porco por água quente, deixe escorrer, depois corte aos bocados pequenos. Faça a marinada misturando todos os ingredientes de preferência num recipiente de barro, onde se introduz a carne de porco, que deve ficar toda coberta pela marinada. Deixe marinar pelo menos três dias.

Leve a carne a cozer na sua própia vinha d'alhos. Quando a carne estiver cozida, escorra e deixe arrefecer. Com a gordura retirada da cozedura, frite a carne e as fatias de pão cogrossas. Entretanto coza as batatinhas novas e asse as batatas doces.

As batatinhas novas serão depois alouradas na gordura de fritar a carne. A carne de vinha d'alhos é servida bem quente com rodelas de laranja, acompanhada das batatinhas alouradas, da batata doce assada e do pão frito.

*A comemoração do Nascimento de Jesus, é chamada na Ilha da Madeira por

«Festa». Em parte nenhuma do mundo, se vive, e celebra tanto a

«Festa». A matança do porco, é uma tradição, e exigência indispensável para a execução do prato «Carne de Vinho e Alhos», presente em todas as mesas madeirenses, no almoço do dia da «Festa».