Tag: pork
Burmese Pork Curry
Burmese Pork Curry
This pork curry is something special. It is extremely easy to prepare and as far as I’m concerned, might be one of the best comfort foods I’ve ever eaten. The pork falls apart in the aromatic, slightly spicy gravy. The addition of potatoes not only adds a starch to the curry, but helps thicken that magical gravy. The pork curry is traditionally eaten during Christmas, weddings, and large gatherings in Myanmar(formerly Burma), but can be eaten anytime. When choosing the pork for the curry, you want to use cuts with a little more fat since it will be slow cooked for 2 hours. Pork shoulder works the best. Pork belly works well, but will generate more fat to the gravy. Pork sirloin is a great choice if you want the pork to be a little leaner, but still tender enough for braising. Pork loin and tenderloin would not work in this curry. They are too lean and ultimately will be tough if braised.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder, sirloin, or belly cubed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 4 green bird’s eye chilies minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 medium potatoes sliced 1/2” thick
- 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Marinate the pork with 1 tsp of turmeric and salt for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high. Sauté the onions, garlic, and chilies for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the paprika, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, and the rest of the turmeric. Continue sautéing for 5 minutes.
- Add in the pork, browning for 5 minutes.
- Pour in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Place the pot in a preheated 300 degree oven covered for 1 hour.
- Season the pork with fish sauce. Add in the potatoes. Put the cover back on and place back in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Add in the cilantro.
Goan Pork Vindaloo
Goan Pork Vindaloo
Pork Vindaloo is a popular dish from the Indian state of Goa with a Portuguese influence. Portuguese sailors would preserve raw ingredients in wooden barrels with wine and garlic. The dish was “Indianized” by substituting vinegar for the wine with an addition of dried chilies. The British Indian version of this dish uses malt vinegar. This is a fairly simple dish to make. The pork vindaloo gets it’s heat not from the chilies, but the black peppercorns.
Equipment
- Food processor or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork sirloin cubed
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick 2”
- 1 green bird’s eye chili slit
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- salt to taste
- 1 cup water
Spice Paste
- 6 dried Kashmiri chilies
- 8 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5 tbsp malt vinegar
Garnish
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Purée all of the spice paste ingredients together in a food processor or immersion blender.
- Marinate the cubed pork sirloin for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Toss in the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and green chilies. Fry for a minute.
- Add in the pork with all of it’s marinade. Sear on all sides for 10 minutes.
- Mix in the tamarind paste, brown sugar, and salt. Pour in 1 cup of water.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and Sour Pork
This is an authentic recipe for real sweet and sour pork. When you eat sweet and sour pork at a Chinese American restaurant, you will get heavily battered and deep fried greasy large cubes of pork in an overly sugary sauce. Real Chinese sweet and sour pork is cut into strips, lightly coated in cornstarch, and stir fried. It is still crispy with a fraction of the grease and calories. It is then tossed in a corn syrup free sweet and sour sauce. I like the real deal significantly better. Plus, the pork only takes 20 minutes to prep and cook from start to finish. You can do the same process with chicken or shrimp if you aren’t a fan of pork. If you aren’t a fan of pork, get off of my website.
Ingredients
Pork Marinade
- 1 lb pork sirloin cut into strips
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
Sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
Stir Fry
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 green onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Marinate the pork in vegetable oil, egg, and salt for 15 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch to the pork, making sure all of the pieces are evenly coated.
- Heat up the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add in the pork pieces, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3 minutes a side.
- Remove the pork from the pan and drain grease on paper towel.
- There should be at least a tbsp of oil left in the pan. Add the green onion and garlic, cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce to the pan. Whisk until it thickens, no more than 2 minutes.
- Add the pork back into the pan. Turn off the heat. Make sure that the pork is evenly coated in the sauce.
