Zorza


This Galician recipe (northwest of Spain) can be a main dish, a starter or even a 'tapa'. It is very easy and simple to prepare. These are pieces of pork loin cut into tacos that are marinated and then fried to serve as is or accompanied by fried potatoes and 'Padrón' peppers (small green peppers typical from Galicia, which some of them are sweet and some others spicy).

The zorza was formerly made with the meat marinade that was going to be used to make sausages - in fact it is still done this way - and that's why you will also find it with the name of picadillo de chorizos.

INGREDIENTS (4 people):

600 grams (20 oz) of pork loin 
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of hot paprika
Half a cup of white wine (100 ml)
1 bay leaf
Oregan, thyme, parsley or other aromatic herbs (optional, to taste)
Ground black pepper
Salt
Olive oil

First of all it is recommended to buy a whole pork loin with the indicated weight, that is, without filleting. It is a relatively cheap and easy to get product.

You cut the loin into equal cube blocks of about 1 inch and place them in a bowl.

Peel the garlic cloves and chop them finely. They are added to the meat bowl as well as the two types of paprika, a teaspoon of salt, wine, bay leaf, black pepper and aromatic herbs that we like (or neither, as you like). Finally we pour a good stream of olive oil. With a wooden spoon, stir well so that the meat is well impregnated.

We cover the bowl with plastic wrap and take it to the refrigerator so that the meat is marinated well, at least for 24 hours.

After the marinade time, remove from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for at least half an hour. We stir well to distribute the juices again and then take the meat with all the marinade to a frying pan over high heat. No oil is added because it is already in the marinade. We stir well so that the meat is fried on all sides.

It is served as is or as we have said accompanied by potatoes, peppers etc. And don't forget to water the meat with the juice of the marinade, which is delicious. A recipe that you will surely repeat more than once.