Alheiras De Mirandela

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: ALHEIRAS DE MIRANDELA
Categories: Meats
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.

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