Title: Alheiras De Mirandela
Categories: Meat
Yield: 15 Units
| 3 | lb | Lean beef* |
| 1 1/2 | lb | Calf meat |
| 1/2 | lb | Chicken |
| 1/2 | lb | Turkey |
| 1/2 | lb | Rabbit |
| 1 1/2 | lb | Day old wheat bread |
| 1/4 | lb | Ham (optional) |
| 4 | | Garlic cloves |
| 4 | ts | Olive oil |
| 2 | oz | Pork drippings** |
| | | Paprika, salt and piripiri to taste |
| 10 | | Feet tripe casing |
* Or lean pork, or a mixture of both, for cost reasons. ** Probably a
modern addition, or replacement for suet. You may change the proportions of
chicken/turkey/rabbit - it may be all chicken, etc., provided the total
amount remains the same. You can use partridge, quail, duck, and so on...
Boil the meats together long enough to make the bones separate from the
meat by themselves. Reserve the resulting broth and set meats aside. In a
large bowl place the thinly sliced bread and add the reserved broth. Cover
with a towel and, as soon as the bread is soft enough, mash it with an
wooden spoon. Add the mashed garlic and ground piripiri, paprika and a
little salt. Add the meats cut in very little pieces. Mix thoroughly. When
everything is completely mixed add the olive oil and the pork drippings,
hot. Fill the casing using a suitable funnel. Tie each 'alheira' so that
it's about 8" long, with the filling concentrated in the middle section,
leaving the ends almost empty. Smoke for 2 or 3 hours a day, for a week.
Tie both ends together before selling or using ~ the 'alheira' should be U
shaped. A typical way of serving 'alheiras' is frying them in hot oil, and
presenting them with fried eggs and potato chips. Some add broccoli as a
side dish.