By Trustee Rowena Akana
March 15, 2006
Source Sam Choy’s Kitchen
VINGHA DOLCE
A Portuguese Roast
This is my Grandfather’s recipe and is usually served at Easter time or during the Holidays.
* 5 pounds pork butt
* 5 pounds meat for roasting (any type of roast)
* Hawaiian salt
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic
* 3 to 4 cups of white vinegar
* water (2 cups of water for every 1 cup of vinegar)
* whole baked potatoes, unskinned
* whole carrots, unpeeled
* chili pepper
Rub Hawaiian salt into the meat. The meat must have marbling in it. If it is too lean it will be dry.
Massage garlic into the meat. Lots of garlic gives it flavor.
Add 3 to 4 cups of vinegar and 2 cups of water into a deep pot for every cup of vinegar used. Be sure to taste your vinegar and water to make sure you are okay with the taste. If you aren’t, add more water or vinegar or salt etc. My Grandfather always put a little bit of fresh chili pepper in the mixture. Put any extra garlic in the pan too.
Let the meat and vegetables marinate overnight in the deep pot while turning meat every so often.
Remove vegetables before baking meat.
Bake meat at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on how much meat you have. If you have a lot of gravy, pour some of it out before you put your roast in the oven. Be sure to cover the roast.
Add the potatoes and carrots after first hour of cooking. The vegetables will cook much faster than your meat so be sure to take it out before your meat is done.
Use gravy from the marinade to continue to baste meat. Check it from time to time.
When your roast is almost done or done medium you may want to turn off the oven.
Slice meat and serve warm with hot vegetables.
Our family always took the roast out when it was medium done and let it cool a bit. We then sliced good-sized pieces along with the potatoes and put it into a frying pan with a little olive oil and then served it. Some people will want to serve it right from the oven. It really depends on your own taste.
Good Luck.