3 lb Lean beef*
1 1/2 lb Calf meat
1/2 lb Chicken
1/2 lb Turkey
1/2 lb Rabbit
1 1/2 lb Day old wheat bread
1/4 lb Ham (optional)
4    Garlic cloves
4 ts Olive oil
2 oz Pork drippings**
Paprika, salt and
-piripiri to taste
10    Feet tripe casing

* Or lean pork, or a mixture of both, for cost
reasons. ** Probably a modern addition, or
replacement for suet. You may change the proportions
of chicken/turkey/rabbit – it may be all chicken,
etc., provided the total amount remains the same. You
can use partridge, quail, duck, and so on… Boil the
meats together long enough to make the bones separate
from the meat by themselves. Reserve the resulting
broth and set meats aside.
In a large bowl place the thinly sliced bread and add
the reserved broth. Cover with a towel and, as soon as
the bread is soft enough, mash it with an wooden
spoon. Add the mashed garlic and ground piripiri,
paprika and a little salt. Add the meats cut in very
little pieces. Mix thoroughly. When everything is
completely mixed add the olive oil and the pork
drippings, hot. Fill the casing using a suitable
funnel. Tie each alheira so that its about 8″ long,
with the filling concentrated in the middle section,
leaving the ends almost empty. Smoke for 2 or 3 hours
a day, for a week. Tie both ends together before
selling or using – the alheira should be U shaped.
A typical way of serving alheiras is frying them in
hot oil, and presenting them with fried eggs and
potato chips. Some add broccoli as a side dish.