Carne mechada is a traditional dish from the Andalucian region of Spain. It is usually prepared with beef and filled with hard boiled eggs, red peppers and ham. Many Latin American countries have adapted the original recipe and that is the reason why there are so many versions of it. For example in Venezuela carne mechada is shredded beef, in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic they use pork and beef respectively and they both stuff it with vegetables and sausage.
For this recipe I will not stuff the pork and will use a small whole head of garlic to season the meat, hence the English title garlic-crusted pork loin. The original recipe calls for Jerez or Sherry; a dry and sweet wine. I substituted it with Vermouth which is also a dry white wine but not as sweet as the Sherry.
At home, my husband prefers the pork shredded instead of sliced. So, after the carne mechada is ready he shreds it and pan fries it with olive oil until the meat turns brown/crispy. Carne mechada can be served at room temperature or warm. You can serve it with a side dish of rice/beans and a vegetable or even make a sandwich or taco.
- 9 medium size garlic cloves (almost a whole head of garlic)
- ½ teaspoon of pepper corns (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1¾ teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of sliced onions
- 2.5 lb of rib end boneless pork roast
- 1 cup of water
- ⅔ cup of Vermouth (can substitute with white wine)
- ¼ teaspoon of thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground clove
- dash of nutmeg
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- In a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, salt, peppercorn and paprika and make a mash.
- Make slits in the pork with a long, thin knife. Season the outside of the pork with the garlic mash and also inside the slits.
- Slice the onions and layer the bottom of a medium Dutch oven or saucepan.
- Place pork on top of the onions.
- Add water, Vermouth, thyme, ground clove, and nutmeg to pan.
- At medium high heat, bring to a boil, let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to medium-low and simmer uncover for 15 minutes.
- Add oil, cover and let it simmer for close to an hour or until the internal temperature reads 165 ˚F and the meat is not pink.
- If the liquid has evaporated while there is still time left to cook add water (1/4 cup at a time) and lower the heat.
- Serve the pork with the sauce and onions.
Did you make this recipe?
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