Raxo with potatoes and Padrón peppers

How to prepare raxo a la gallega .

Raxo is one of the most famous meat recipes in Galicia, a very typical and traditional dish, especially in A Coruña.

It is possible to find it in any corner of the community, in bars, taperías, restaurants, since it is a very tasty tapa or portion.

You will usually find it in many bars and restaurants accompanied by fried potatoes. Sometimes also with Padrón peppers , as in the recipe that I bring you today. A most successful combination.

When we talk about raxo we are referring to fresh pork loin, cut into cubes (3 cm. X 3 cm.) And cooked in the pan without great tricks. Given this simplicity, you can make little excuse not to do it at home, and enjoy this Galician tapas.

In this recipe that I have cooked today, it is A Coruña style, the place where I ate it for the first time. There they do not add extra seasonings, they just cook the raxo in brine and accompany it with garnish.

In 10 minutes it will be ready on the table, without complications. The important thing is that the meat is very juicy, so it should not be overcooked.

When I worked in Ofiservice many years ago we had meetings once a month in Coruña and the boss always took us to Casa Manolo , popularly called Raxo do Burgo ( Costa da Lonxa, nº 23, O Burgo – Culleredo) .

I assure you that I have not tried a similar raxo, not even this one that I cook, I do not know where they will buy the meat or what type of marinade they put on it but it is exquisite.

Look at you, with a Betanzos-style omelette , a salad full of raging oil, some Padrón peppers and a bottle of house wine, we ate like Marquises, of course the place is not top-notch. At Mesón A Cepa it wasn’t bad either, but better at Casa Manolo.

And if you plan a little you can also go to  Festa do Raxo in Ponteceso , it is usually celebrated in early June and it is milk. Be the one from Burgo, the one from Ponteceso or this one presented to you by a server, do not hesitate to prepare it, you will suck your fingers.

Preparation of the tail

1. The raxo is pork loin in pieces, so the ideal is to cut the meat just when we go to cook the recipe.
2. If you go to the butcher shop the same day, you can ask them to cut the meat for you and thus save work later at home. If not, order a whole piece.
3. We remove excess fat from the meat, on the outside. We cut it into 3 cm slices. And then you are in dice (3 cm. x 3 cm.). We do this process with the entire piece.
4. Finely chop the garlic. In a bowl, add the meat and marinate with the garlic, salt, black pepper (freshly ground if you can be) and a splash of oil.
5. In some places in Galicia you will also find the raxo with a good splash of white wine and a touch of oregano. Although in today’s recipe we have chosen the most general recipe.
6. We remove everything very well with a wooden spoon, to integrate the ingredients well and that the meat catches all the flavor.
7. We cover everything with a rag or the lid of the bowl so that the fridge does not catch odors. We leave it resting in the fridge for a whole day.
8. When there are 10 minutes left to meet the time, we will prepare the potatoes.
9. We peel them and cut them in the traditional style, lengthwise. We fry them in extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation of the accompaniment. French fries and Padrón peppers

1. In addition to good fried potatoes (not frozen), a perfect accompaniment is the rich Padrón peppers.
2. In fact, they are from the town of Herbón, next to Padrón, and the majority of crops of this Galician product are located there.
3. The season of the authentic Herbón Peppers runs from May to October.
4. During the rest of the year you will find peppers of the same shape and size but they are “Padrón style”, and they are sweet varieties, of which they do not bite.
5. While the potatoes are being made, take a large skillet, cast iron if possible.
6. Add the meat and cook over medium / strong heat, turning it so that it is done everywhere. Little by little it will take on color and it will release its juices in the pan.
7. Before the meat is ready, we fry the peppers in another pan or saucepan, in very hot olive oil.
8. In 5 minutes they will be ready, so make sure they don’t get burned. Follow all the tips of the video that you have in the recipe, they will be perfect.

Final presentation of the raxo a la gallega

1. The intention is to have all 3 parts of the plate ready at the same time. For the plating, in a platter, we first add the potatoes and salt them.
2. Then add the golden tail, and pour the juices on top.
3. Finally we accompany with the Padrón peppers, fried to the point.

It can’t be easier, why not? You just have to buy a good product and then watch the cooking times.

So that everything turns out at its point, without going over. I assure you that for a tapas lunch or dinner, this dish is second to none.

I hope it tempts you and you do it at home. For the end of the party, I recommend a good artisan bread and a wine from one of the 5 Galician Denominations of origin. It will be a pairing of ten.

I encourage you to try it at home, a recipe that we always make as a family.

You can see all the photos of the step by step of this recipe for raxo a la gallega  in this album.