Pungent Pork Vindaloo

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Vindaloo describes a style of Indian cooking where the meat or fish is marinated in a vinegar-based sauce, and then cooked in that marinade.

Ingredients

Cider Vinegar, Red Chile, Ginger, Cardamon, Cinnamon, Pork, Onion, Potato, Chicken Broth

Instructions

Vindaloo describes a style of Indian cooking whereby the meat or fish is marinated in a vinegar- based sauce and then cooked in that marinade. This recipe can also be used for beef or lamb and, like a pasta sauce, is best if prepared a day in advance and reheated. Add ground cayenne if more heat is desired.

  • ½ cup cider vinegar

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 teaspoons crushed red chile

  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger

  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves

  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • Crushed black pepper

  • 1 ½ pounds pork, cut in 1-inch cubes

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 medium potato, cubed

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 2 cups cooked rice

To make the marinade, combine the vinegar, oil, chile, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and black pepper in a non-reactive bowl. Add the pork and toss the pork in the mixture until well coated. Cover and marinate the pork for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the pork, drain, and reserve the marinade.

Heat a little of the remaining oil in a heavy skillet, add the pork and brown. Add more oil if needed to keep the meat from burning. Add the onions and potato and continue to saute the mixture until the onions are soft and the potatoes are browned.

Add the reserved marinade and the broth to the pork, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thickened, around 30 minutes. Add more broth if needed

Serve the vindaloo over a platter of hot rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Hot

Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Serve these spicy vegetables as a side dish to just about any grilled meat or fish. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. From The Habanero Cookbook, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach, Ten Speed Press, 1995.

Ingredients

For the Vegetables:

  • 8 cherry tomatoes

  • 1 green bell pepper, seeds, ribs, and stem removed, cut lengthwise into wedges

  • 8 large button mushrooms

  • 1 onion, cut into wedges and separated

  • 1 zucchini, scored with a fork and cut into ½-inch slices

For the Marinade:

  • 6 green onions, minced

  • 1 Scotch bonnet chile, seeds and stem removed, minced

  • ½ cup soy sauce

  • ½ cup malt vinegar

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves

  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

To prepare the vegetables, thread them onto skewers, alternating colors and shapes, and place the skewers in a non-reactive baking dish.

To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over the vegetables. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours, spooning the marinade over the vegetables occasionally.

Brush a grill rack with vegetable oil. Grill the vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp, basting frequently with the marinade.

Pork Curry Gurkha-Style

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Gurkhas, the sturdy soldiers from Nepal, took this curry formula wherever they went, be it Malaya or the Falkland Islands. The use of yogurt in this curry tempers the chiles. Note that this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne powder

  • 2 pounds lean and boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

  • 2 cups unsweetened yogurt

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter, or substitute vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

  • 1 cup water

  • Salt to taste

  • ½ cup cilantro leaves

  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder

  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder

  • ½ teaspoon clove powder

  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder

Instructions

  • Combine the vinegar and cayenne powder and toss the meat in it. Add the yogurt and ginger and marinate the meat for about 3 hours at room temperature.

    Heat the oil in a skillet over low heat for 1 minute; add the ghee, the pork with its marinade, black pepper, turmeric, water, and salt, and bring to a rapid boil. Lower the heat, cover the skillet, and simmer for 40 minutes.

    Add the cilantro, cumin, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom powders, stir in well, and serve hot.

    Moghlai Chicken Curry (Nimbu Masala Murgh)

    Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

    The Moghlai dishes, popular across India, but particularly in Delhi and the neighboring Uttar Pradesh, owe their ancestry to sixteenth and seventeenth century Moghul rulers, Akbar and Shehjehan, who were connoisseurs of music, literature, architecture, and food. Unlike their immediate ancestors, who invaded India, and who were too busy consolidating their empire to pay much attention to cuisine, Akbar and Shehjehan recruited the best chefs in northern India, and encouraged them to create dishes that carried the influence of the ingredients of central Asia and India. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

    Ingredients

    • 2 large onions, chopped

    • 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled

    • 10 cloves garlic

    • 2 cups plain yogurt

    • Salt to taste

    • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder

    • 1 tablespoon cumin powder

    • 1 tablespoon coriander powder

    • 1 tablespoon commercial garam masala

    • 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces

    • 1/4 cup ghee or vegetable oil

    • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

    • 4 green chiles, such as serranos, stems removed, finely minced

    • 1/4 cup lime juice

    • 1 lime, cut into small pieces, for garnish

    • 1 large tomato, diced, for garnish

    • ½ cup raw cashew nuts, for garnish

    • 1 large onion, cut into rings, for garnish

    • 1/4 cup cilantro or mint leaves, for garnish

    Instructions

    In a food processor or blender, grind the chopped onion, ginger, and garlic into a smooth paste. Combine the paste with the yogurt, salt, cayenne powder, and half of the cumin, coriander and garam masala. Add the chicken pieces, mix well, and marinate at room temperature for 6 hours.

    Place the chicken in a large skillet, and cook, covered, for about 12 minutes over low heat.

    In another skillet, heat the ghee or oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, and when they begin to pop, add the chiles. Pour the ghee or oil (along with mustard and chiles) over the chicken, and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until the moisture evaporates.

    Place the chicken in a serving dish. Squeeze the lime juice over the meat, and sprinkle the remaining cumin, coriander, and garam masala over the mixture. Garnish with the lime pieces, cashew nuts, tomato and onion rings, and coriander leaves.

    Memphis Rib Rub

    Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

    This rub is great for smoking any cut of pork–ribs, chops, steaks, or even a roast. It has its origins in one of the barbecue centers of America, Memphis, Tennessee, home of the Memphis in May barbecue cook-off. You can also use rubs on grilled meats, so the next time you grill pork (or lamb) chops, try this rub.

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup paprika

    • 2 tablespoons garlic salt

    • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

    • 1 tablespoon onion powder

    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

    • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

    • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cayenne

    Instructions

    Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store any unused rub in a sealed container in the freezer.