The Other White meat

The kids are back in school and that means I can resume cooking and blogging once more. Hallelujah !!
I am having an Iron chef moment here with 5 pork chops and no particular recipe in mind. I do have a taste for something spicy- Pork Vindaloo would hit the spot. I glance quickly through old recipes and find one that makes me hungry. Vindaloo is the legacy of Portugese influences on the food culture of Goa in South West India. "Vin" refers to the vinegar and "aloo" to the garlic which are major components of this dish along with fiery red chilies and tamarind.

For those of you that love Indian flavors and have never tried a vindaloo- try this recipe and let me know how it works...

Recipe for Pork Vindaloo

2 lbs pork cut into cubes( beef can be used instead)

3 red onions
1/3 cup oil

10 dried red chilies

6 cloves garlic

2 tbsp ginger paste

1 cinnamon stick

6 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

10 peppercorns

1/2 star anise

1 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

10 curry leaves ( available at any Indian grocery store)

salt to taste
2-3 cups of water

1.Remove the stalks and seeds of the chilies and soak them in warm water till soft. Combine them with the ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves,cumin, peppercorns, star anise, poppy seeds, and chili powder to a paste along with the vinegar. Marinate the meat with a little of this paste and keep the rest aside.
2. Heat the oil and saute the onions till they are caramelized and add in the spice paste. When it is fragrant, add in the jaggery/sugar, tamarind and a little water if necessary and season.
3. Stir in the meat and continue frying for another 5 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer covered until the meat is cooked thoroughly. Add in the curry leaves last, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot over Basmati Rice.


I used my neighbors Sarah and Andy as my guinea pigs- they loved it and even their little girl Emma ( barely 2) said "yummy". I guess that says it all !