Description
The Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI is a sausage made with the meat and fat of the Alentejana PDO breed of pig. The principal parts used are the leg and belly pork which are seasoned with garlic, ground pepper, salt and water.
Production Area
Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI is made in the municipal areas of Borba, Estremoz, Vila Viçosa and Alandroal, in the Évora district.
Production Method
The meat and fat are cut into small pieces of less than 5 cm and mixed with the other ingredients. The resulting mixture is left to marinate for two days at a temperature of between 0°C and 5°C and 90% to 95% humidity. The socalled paio (pork blind intestine), pre-prepared with water, salt and vinegar, is used for the casing, tied with red and white pure cotton string. The sausages are smoked slowly, at a temperature of 30°C to 40°C over an holm oak (azinheira) wood fire for 22 days. Lastly they are left to cure for 60 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI is round in shape, about 10-25 cm long and has a diameter of between 8 cm and 15 cm. It has predominantly a dark reddish colour, smooth, with a semi-rigid consistency. Internally it has a red, irregular marbled appearance. It has a smoked, garlic flavour evenly balanced between sweet and salty.
History
The history of this sausage is closely linked to the breeding of the Alentejana PDO pig. These locally produced traditional sausages gradually reached a wider and more appreciative public including the Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI sausage, the result of an age old tradition and meticulous methods of production, which has remained unchanged today even with a more mechanised industrial process.
Gastronomy
Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI must be stored in a cool dry place to maintain it at its best. It is eaten just as it is with bread. Frequently it is often eaten also as a starter, with an aperitif or as an ingredient in a traditional dish such as cozido de grão and favas guisadas.
Marketing
This sausage is sold as Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI. It is vacuum packaged, modified atmosphere and/or controlled atmosphere packaged. It is sold whole or prepacked in pieces or slices.
Distinctive Features
The quality of Paio de Estremoz e Borba PGI depends very much on the type of feed given to the Alentejano PDO pigs. Both the acorn itself and the age of the pig when it is slaughtered, between 10 and 18 months at a minimum weight of 90 kg, give this sausage its distinctive flavour.
