A Cherished Family Recipe

Ready to try something new? Vinha D’alhos Portuguese Marinade is a family recipe passed down through generations and holds near and dear to my heart. Vinha D’alhos (which means wine and garlic) is a Portuguese classic. The beautiful flavors get deep into the meat, and the long marination period helps elevate the brilliance of the wine, the deep garlic, the spicy crushed peppers, and the tanginess from the vinegar. It’s guaranteed to fill your home with gorgeously fragrant roasting aromas.

My childhood home was filled with the scent of this brilliant wine and garlic marinade at least a few times each month. As this is relatively easy to make, inexpensive, and packed with heavy flavor, it’s easy to see why we serve this often in our house.

Tip: This marinade is quite spicy, so if you aren’t into spice, choose a mild Pimenta Moida (Crushed Pepper Sauce), and check the marinade spice level before diving into a dish slathered in this gorgeous red marinade.

If you like this recipe, then you’ll love my: Kale and Sausage Soup (Portuguese Caldo Verde)

History of Vinha D’alhos Marinade

In India, Vindaloo is a traditional recipe of the Goan Catholic community. However, the origins of vindaloo surprisingly begin in Madeira, a region of Portugal famous for its wine.

The people of Madeira developed a unique way of preserving meat known as “Vinha D’alhos” (meaning wine and garlic). The Portuguese would submerge the meat in vinegar, salt, wine, and garlic, meant to preserve and also marinate the meat. Vinha D’alhos was introduced to the Goan Catholics by the Portuguese on their journey to India. It was there that this cherished wine and garlic marinate was later adapted to become the classic Indian vindaloo dish that you know and love today.

Uses for Vinha D’alhos Marinade

Traditionally, you would use this marinade with heavier meats such as pork or beef. When marinating meats with more fat content, the spice is less prominent, so you get more garlic and wine flavors. However, there are many ways to use this fantastic and versatile marinade. Below are a few unique ideas and suggestions:

• Slow-Cooker Portuguese Pork: Growing up, my family would marinate pork, then place it in the slow cooker with a touch of orange juice on low for about 6 hours. This is called Caçoila and it uses Vinha D’alhos (Recipe Coming Soon!), the results are nothing short of astonishing! We would eat the leftovers on a thick loaf of bread for lunch the next day. (This is my favorite way to use the marinade.)

• Portuguese Chicken or Turkey Soup: My Grampy would cut up a whole chicken or turkey, marinate it overnight with Vinha D’alhos Portuguese Marinade, and place the chicken into a pot of boiling water. He would then add rice, and more marinade for flavor, ultimately creating a simple, easy, flavorful soup with leftovers for days!

• Portuguese Beef Stew: You can follow the same process with marinating beef, then toss it into a stew filled with your favorite potatoes and veggies.

• Grilled or Smoked Portuguese Wings: Marinate chicken wings for 1-2 days, and toss them onto a grill or smoker to get an exceptional smokey, earthy flavor addition to this spicy marinade.

A Portuguese Thanksgiving

I can honestly tell you that I’ve NEVER had a single Thanksgiving that didn’t revolve around a turkey marinated in Vinha D’alhos – known in my family as simply “Portuguese Turkey.” My favorite Thanksgiving memories involved smelling the Vinha D’alhos roasting on the turkey all day. The aromas of garlicky, spicy, wine-basted gorgeousness filled the house as I watched the Macy’s parade and anticipated the juicy Turkey we would have later that evening.

As a child, when we visited someone’s home for Thanksgiving, it was uncommon to see a roasted Portuguese turkey. We were grateful, it was always delicious, don’t get me wrong! But, later that night, my family would cook an additional turkey in the Portuguese style, solely to enjoy the spicy leftovers. Almost every year my dad would ask my mom why she went through the trouble of a second turkey. I can hear my mother’s voice, and visualize her waving her arms about in response as she would say, “We’ve GOT to have the Portuguese leftovers!” And she was right. So the tradition began, and we would eat late-night Portuguese turkey on Thanksgiving, or have it the next day, where we could get our fix. (I should also mention that my mother isn’t Portuguese, she’s Italian – that’s the Vinha D’alhos obsession talking!)

A New Thanksgiving: Remember this next Thanksgiving if you want to try something revolutionary, triple or even quadruple this recipe depending on the size of the bird, and douse your turkey in this spicy and incredible marinade. Don’t forget to let it sit for about 2-3 days marinating in the fridge, then roast that baby off, basting it in the juices. You can thank me later!

Wine: For this recipe, use good red wine! The general rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it, so go with your preference! However, if you want to try something new, check into some of the many famous Madeira wines on the market! Madeira does not disappoint.

Pimenta Moida (Hot Crushed Peppers): I find Portuguese Hot Crushed Peppers from several brands these days. Pimenta Moida (Hot Crushed Peppers) are pureed, tangy, spicy, brilliant red, slightly pickled, crushed peppers and these are THE focused flavors in our Vinha D’alhos Portuguese Marinade. My family usually orders these jarred peppers online and stores them on the shelves year-round.

For This Recipe: My family’s favorite brand is STAR Crushed Peppers. I also like the Azores’ version, Quintal dos Açores Hot Crushed Pepper. Another brand I use occasionally is Mello’s Hot Crushed Pepper. Feel free to try any brand that you like!

Garlic: You can use fresh garlic or minced garlic. Sometimes I like to go with the Jarred Minced Garlic. I think it gives the recipe a more powerful garlic flavor, plus it saves me the step of peeling and chopping fresh garlic.

Leave a Comment: If you love this recipe, let me know! I’m excited to see what you cook in your kitchens using this versatile marinade. Leave a comment below the recipe card at the bottom of the page – I love to hear from you!

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