(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons bacon drippings or lard
24 cherrystone clams in their shells (or 12 clams & 2 cans chopped clams)
1 lb. pork tenderloin (or the lean meats from 11/2 lbs. loin pork chops)
2 medium size Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced
I. 16-oz. can plum tomatoes chopped, and their juice
2 medium onions sliced, with the slices made into rings
1 cup dry red wine
juice of 1/2  lemon
¼ tsp crushed red pepper seeds
¼  cup chopped cilantro (or flat leaf parsley)
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp salt
¼  tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Port wine (or sherry)

 Directions:

Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/4-inch slices, and cut these slices into bite-size pieces.
(Or do the same with pork chop meats.) In a large glass or ceramic bowl, or enamel
pot, make a marinade as follows: red wine, 4 cloves of chopped garlic, lemon juice, I tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp Cayenne, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and chopped cilantro (or parsley).  Add the pork pieces to this material and mix well.  Place the mixture in the refrigerator overnight.  Stir the mixture well two or three times during the night to make sure the meat gets a good soaking. Peel the potatoes and slice them in 1/4" slices.  Boil these slices in salted water for 20 to 30 minutes until they are soft; set aside and keep warm. Melt 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings (or lard) in a large pot.  Drain the pork pieces and pat them dry with paper towels, add them to the pot and sauté until the pieces are lightly browned.  Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice, and the Port wine.  Let it simmer.  In a skillet heat the rest of the bacon fat (or lard), add the onions and 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper seeds.  Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then until the onions are soft.  Empty the skillet contents into the large pot with the pork.  Add the marinade juices to the pot.  Mix it all well, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.  Make sure the clams are well scrubbed and alive.  Place them in the big pot along with the other materials.  Cover the pot and steam the clams until they are open, 10 or 15 minutes; their liquor will really add ZIP to the things in the pot.

Preheat four large soup bowls and cover the bottoms with a layer of sliced potatoes.  Lay 6 clams on top of the potatoes in each bowl.  Ladle the pork and other goodies in the pot on top of the clams.  Garnish each bowl with a sprig of cilantro (or flat leaf parsley). Serve a chilled Vinho Verde with it or a good dry Portuguese red wine such as Lagoa, from the Algarve southern coast of Portugal.