Molhos de Santa Maria

Molhos de Santa Maria is one of those dishes that tells the whole story of the Azores in a single bite. My family’s version uses foil packets and a pressure cooker — a practical adaptation of a traditional preparation that originally called for a stomach lining. The technique is different, but the soul of the dish is exactly the same: tender, deeply marinated pork, infused overnight with wine, garlic, and the warm heat of red pepper paste. Plan ahead, because the overnight marinade is what makes this recipe sing.

What is Molhos de Santa Maria?

Molhos de Santa Maria is a traditional pork dish rooted in the island of Santa Maria in the Azores, with clear influences from Northern Portugal. The word “molhos” refers to the flavorful marinade — white wine, garlic, paprika, scallions, and red pepper paste — that the pork soaks in overnight before cooking. Historically, the marinated meat was stuffed into a sewn stomach lining, but most families today use foil packets, which trap the steam and concentrate all those wonderful flavors. It’s served alongside sweet potatoes, and it’s the kind of meal that fills your entire kitchen with the most incredible aroma.

How to Make This Recipe

The process starts the night before. Cube your pork loin and combine it with all the marinade ingredients — garlic, minced onion, scallions, paprika, red pepper paste, white wine, and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, stir in rinsed rice, then spoon the mixture onto sheets of foil. Fold each sheet into a tight bundle and tie with cooking string. Place the bundles into a pressure cooker halfway filled with hot water and cook for 45 minutes. Unwrap and serve alongside cooked sweet potatoes.

Tips for the Best Molhos de Santa Maria

• The overnight marinade is non-negotiable. A few hours won’t give you the same depth of flavor — the pork needs the full night.
• Always rinse your rice before mixing it in. This removes excess starch so your bundles don’t turn gummy inside.
• Wrap your foil bundles tight. A loose packet lets water seep in during pressure cooking and dilutes the flavor you just spent all night building.
• Adjust the red pepper paste to your heat level. Two tablespoons gives it a noticeable warmth — go lighter if your crowd is sensitive to heat.
• Make sure your pressure cooker is large enough to hold all the bundles without stacking.
• Don’t let the bundles sit once cooked — serve immediately for the best texture.

An Instant Pot is one of the most versatile tools you can have in your kitchen — and it’s perfect for this recipe. I use mine for everything from soups to stews to dishes like this one, where you need steady, consistent pressure to do the heavy lifting. If you don’t have one yet, it’s worth every penny.

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Serving and Storing

Molhos de Santa Maria is best served fresh right after the bundles are unwrapped, alongside cooked sweet potatoes. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, use a covered pan over low heat with a small splash of water to keep the pork from drying out.

Molhos de Santa Maria (Bundles of Santa Maria)

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This recipe comes from the island of Santa Maria, but it definitely has roots from Northern Portugal.

The original dish is made by stuffing the marinated meat into a sewn up stomach lining… Every family has their own take with seasonings and methods but I love how we improvised this special dish using foil packets and a pressure cooker. Also the key to the dish is marinating overnight, so make sure to do this the night before you plan on making it for your family. 

• Author: Maria Lawton

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

This recipe will feed 4-6 people and can be easily doubled.

2 1/2 pounds of pork loin

1 cup of rice (rinsed)

1 onion minced

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

Splash of vinegar, or lemon juice

1 1/2 cups of white wine

1 tablespoon of paprika

2 tablespoons of red hot pepper paste *can adjust to taste

One small bunch of chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1.  Cut and cube the pork loin
2. In a large bowl add & mix all the ingredients together. Cover everything and place in the refrigerator overnight.
3. The next day, set up the pressure cooker filled with hot water.
4. Set your sheets of foil and fill each with a  couple of serving spoons of the marinated meat. Wrap each into a bundle and tie each bundle with cooking string. Continue until all of the marinated meat has been placed into bundles and then place these bundles into the pressure cooker that was halfway filled with hot water. Cover and set your pressure cooker to cook for 45 minutes.  

Once done, unwrap each bundle and serve alongside cooked sweet potatoes. Enjoy! 

 

Notes

Adding portions to the foil

tying off the packets

Love Azorean meat dishes? Try my Carne Espeto or Alcatra da Terra Chá next.