Pork and Clams

Terry post:
Typically, people will begin with a entree and then find a wine with which to accompany. Typically, but not always. Earlier this year I purchased a case of Castelo do Papa - a white Spanish Godello at a very good price and have been trying various dishes with the wine.

If you crack open a wine magazine they'll tell you that Godello is best when paired with seafood and for the most part I agree. The taste is dryer than a Pinot Grigio and having a nose reminiscent of a good Sauvignon Blanc: pear, almond and a little citris. The good ones are crisp and clean. The great ones have a deep golden hue, and concentrated citris flavors. The Castelo do Papa is a good Godello and at $3.47 a bottle - a great value wine.

This evening I tried the Godello with one of my seafood favorites: Pork and Clams. I highly recommend the Godello with the Pork and Clams.

Ingredients:
2 lbs of clams (24 to 36 depending upon size)
1.5 to 2 lbs of pork loin
4 cloves of fresh garlic chopped
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes (the hot ones)
8 tablespoons of cooking oil
1/4th cup of Godello wine

1. Combine 4 tablespoons of oil, garlic, pepper flakes and salt and set them aside.
2. Cut the pork loin into nice sized cubes - about 1 to 2 inches per side. Add the oil mixture to the pork loin and toss well to cover the meat. Cover and allow the mixture to marinate for 12 - 24 hours.
3. Scrub the clams.
4. Purge the clams using a mixture of 1/3 cup of kosher salt and one gallon of water. I like to purge the clams over night. Expect to change the water at least twice. Some people advocate adding a little cornmeal to the water as it help the clams purge out the old nasty stuff inside.
5. Fry the pork in 4 tablespoons of oil using a hot pan. You'll want a nice browned pork. It is best to not fry all of the pork at one time - if you put all of the pork in at once the heat will decrease and the pork will "boil" in its juice and not fry.
6. After the pork is cooked. Return all of the pork back into the pan and get the pan very hot. Add the clams and the wine. Cover. You want to cook the clams in a hot pan so that they open quickly. The clams should all open in 3 to 4 minutes. Discard any that don't open.
7. Transfer the pork, clams and juice to a large dish. Serve with basic salad, Italian bread and (of course) the Godello wine.