Alentejo Bread Migas with Garlic Pork

What you need

• 300 g (10 oz) stale country bread, a dense white loaf, crust removed
• 400 g (14 oz) pork loin, cut into 2 cm (3/4 in) cubes
• 8 garlic cloves, divided: 4 crushed to a paste, 4 left whole in their skins
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided between the pork and the bread
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) olive oil, divided

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Crush 4 of the garlic cloves with 1/2 tsp of the salt in a mortar. Stir in the paprika and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.

2. 2

   Coat the pork in this paste, cover and leave for 20 min.

3. 3

   Cut the bread into thin slices, then tear the slices into small pieces. Dissolve 1 tsp of salt in 150 ml (2/3 cup) of warm water, sprinkle it over the bread and leave for 15 min, until the bread is damp but not soggy.

4. 4

   Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and the 4 whole garlic cloves.

5. 5

   Brown the pork on all sides, 8-10 min, until golden and cooked through with no pink inside. Move the pork and garlic to a plate and keep warm. Leave the fat in the pan.

6. 6

   Add the remaining olive oil and lower the heat to medium. Add the bread and stir, mashing it with a wooden spoon.

7. 7

   Work in boiling water a splash at a time, up to 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) in all, mashing, until the bread forms a sticky, crumbly mass, 8-10 min.

8. 8

   Press the mass into a flat cake and leave it undisturbed over medium-low heat for 6-8 min, until the underside forms a golden crust.

9. 9

   Break the cake up, turn the pieces and press again. Cook for another 5 min, until crisp in spots and soft inside.

10. 10

    Gather the migas into a mound on a warm platter. Top with the pork and fried garlic and serve at once.

Imported from feed.continente.pt. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.