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Special thanks to Brock Vann for providing much of the information below.
Talho?
A Talho is a butcher shop & the butchers are talhantes. The talhantes are meat maestro’s who can butcher delicious cuts of meat. They typically butcher the meat themselves and have a walk-in freezer for larger cuts like brisket; the display case is reserved for smaller and/or popular cuts.
PRO TIPS:
- Tahlos can be very busy, with lines taking half an hour or more. To avoid this, make a list with your desired items, name, phone number, email address, and the day you want to pick up. Ordering two days in advance ensures timely processing. Tahlo’s do an excellent job & delivers quality products. Another time saver is to be prepared with pictures of any cut of meat that you’re not familiar with the appropriate Portuguese word.
- You can make special requests! For example, do you like your burgers to contain a little pork or maybe veal? Request moída (ground) vaca, porco or vitela. Be sure to tell them the ratio you want.
- Look in the cases, sometimes you’ll find surprises like stuffed turkey breasts or a deboned leg of lamb. Taking notice of what’s in the cases expands your knowledge of all the variety these talhentes have!
- Now you know you can order the above! The stuffed turkey breast is a tasty as it is economical. And, the deboned leg of lamb make a perfect holiday protein; but order early if you want this for Easter or Christmas!
Cuts of Meat
It is impossible (or extremely difficult) to provide a one-to-one comparison of meat cuts between the U.S. and Portugal. For example, the cow is butchered differently in the two countries as the below graphics show. Therefore, I’m simply providing the Portuguese cut of meat & the recommended use of that cut.
The website, Sounds of Portuguese, has a nice explanation of the cuts of beef in Portugal. However, the below information is based on personal experience ordering various cuts of meat from the talhentes in Tavira.
Vaca (Beef)
Peito
- Similar to: Brisket
Lombo Bello
- A delicious cut of meat bursting with flavor that can be enjoyed on its own or in dishes like fajitas, tacos, asian dishes, etc.
- Recipe: Although, this Grilled Steak Recipe is for flank steak, it works beautifully with this cut as well.
Alcatra
- Similar to Top Sirloin
Entrecote
- Similar to a Rib-eye
Aranha (Spider)
- This tender, thin steak is difficult to get because there are only two cuts (one on each hip of the cow). It is a delicious marbled steak resembling a spiderweb.
Contra-file
- Similar to New York Strip
Bochechas de Vaca
- Beef Cheeks are very flavorful; however, they need to be braised or slow-cooked to make them fork-tender.
- Recipe: Red Wine Beef Cheeks
Costeletao
- Similar to T-Bone or Porterhouse steak
Carne Moída
- This simply translates to ground beef.
Porco (Pork)
TOP TIP: If available, request Porco Preto (Black Iberian Pig); this is a very popular type of pig in Spain and Portugal.
Bochechas de Porco
These Pork Cheeks can be used in the same recipe as the Beef Cheeks.
Costeletas
- There are 3 different types of Costeletas (chops) you can get:
- Costuletas do Fundo (bottom chops) have a well balanced distribution of fat and muscle.
- Costuletas do Lombo (loin chop) without bones or excess fat
- Costuletas com Pé (bone in chops)
- Any of these can be cut to your desired thickness.
Pá
Pá is the shoulder cut that is great as a roast.
Entrecosto
- Can you say spare ribs! Typically, these are found rolled up in the case. You want to look for thick meat on top.
- Tip: Ask the talhente to remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs.
Entremeada
- Entremeada is Pork Belly. This is typically where bacon comes from and you can request the talhente to cut bacon from this region. However, see the recommendation below when it comes to bacon!
Perna
This part of the pig can be made into medallions, steaks or bifanas.
Papada
- Papada is the jowel of the pig. This cut is highly recommended for bacon. It has a larger fat layer whereas the entremeada is more lean.
- Tip: Always ask the talhente to remove the skin.
Secretos
- Pork Secrets is a well marbled cut of meat for grilling. These can be simply pan fried with salt, pepper, garlic and white wine for a quick delicious dish.
Porchetta
- Porchetta is an Italian pork roast made from the loin & belly of a young pig. It is commonly stuffed with herbs & spices. The belly on the outside of the roast gets carmelized & crispy making it a true delicacy.
Other Proteins
Here are some other proteins that may interest you…
Enchidos (Stuffed) & Fumados (Cured Meats)
- Alheira – This sausage is a mix of different meats, bread and garlic.
- Barriga Fumada – this pork belly is smoked for 20-30 days. It can be used to create a great sauce or used in pasta.
- Chouriço – This is made from blood, meat and pork fat. Chouriço has a very large grind and can be grisly unless cooked thoroughly. It is very good in stews and soups.
- Farinheira – Uses leftover meat, entrails and fat. Although it doesn’t sound appetizing it is a favorite among Portuguese to stuff chicken, mushrooms, puff pastry or added to scrambled eggs.
- Moira – Marinated for 3 days in red wine, garlic, salt, cumin and chili pepper. Lard, blood and bone stock that’s been filtered through bread are added after.
- Morcela – Bloody pieces of pork and meat smoked for 8 days with salt, water, garlic, cumin and paprika.
- Farinheira – Uses leftover meat, entrails and fat. Although it doesn’t sound appetizing it is a favorite among Portuguese to stuff chicken, mushrooms, puff pastry or added to scrambled eggs.
Frango (Chicken)
- Unless you are wanting something very special, you can usually find what you want at the grocery stores.
Pato (Duck)
- Duck can be purchased in whole or a half. The best pieces are the legs and the breast.
- Any leftover oil after cooking duck? It’s yummy on potatoes!
- Recipe: Duck Fat Roast Potatoes
