Jacinta's Alcatra

One of my good friends is a very proud, very generous Portuguese mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend.  She was nice enough to share this wonderful recipe with me.  It is a Portuguese pot roast called, Alcatra.  It is marinated overnight in a wonderful wine and spice base and roasted the next day with smoked pork or linguica (I chose the linguica).  It was enjoyed by the whole family, even the picky kids:)  Thanks, Jacinta!

When you serve this, make sure you put plenty of the sauce over it, almost swiming in it because that is the best part. Sopping it up with bread would be divine. Oh, and she recommends this be enjoyed with a nice Portuguese red wine...but don't tell her mother she said that! 

Portuguese Alcatra
recipe by Jacinta
from island of Terceira, Azores Island

4 pound beef roast (not too lean or too fat)
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
5 whole allspice
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 onions, sliced
1 cup smoked pork or Linguica
Salt to taste

In a roasting pan, place meat, vinegar, wine, water, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and salt.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees, then turn it down to 350 degrees.
Either in the same roasting pan, Dutch oven or clay pot, put the meat and marinade mixture.  Add the sliced onions and Linguica or pork. 
Cook in the 350 oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until the meat is fall apart tender, flipping over once during cooking.  If the roast looks dry, add some hot water. 
Serve with lots of the gravy poured on top.