Hey folks. A few weeks ago while in Portugal I had one of the meals of my life at a lovely restaurant in Évora named Cafe Alentejo. The dish, costing all of maybe $20, was their “Grilled black pork loin” (Lombinho de porco alentejano na grelha). As much as I love the occasional juicy seasoned pork chop at a red tablecloth Italian place (shout out Rizzo’s in Crabtree, PA), I don’t know how I can go back to that after this. It was life affirming. Tasted like the A5 Wagyu of pork except without the “melt like butter” texture and you can eat more than 2oz of it without getting sick. I took down the whole thing as it would’ve been a sin to waste any. It had this incredible richness and explosion of flavor with every bite, without being too much.
My understanding is that it’s pretty localized, and that it might be similar but not identical to the pigs not-too-far across the border that produce Jamon Iberico (my other love in life). So it’s probably impossible to find in the US. That said, any thoughts on what’s the next best thing I can find online or have my local Richmond, VA butcher source? I was thinking Iberico Secreto, although I’ve had that before in the US and don’t remember having the same reaction… But maybe it’s all about being close to the source.
Thanks all!