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

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.

Instead of limiting this recipe to the ‘southeastern corner of Western North Carolina,’ we have made a universal Carolina sandwich that you can sauce up with two or three styles of Carolina BBQ sauce.

Ingredients

Boston Butt pork roast, kaiser rolls, coleslaw, cabbage, green bell pepper, slaw dressing

Instructions

Notice that we have not limited this recipe to the “southeastern corner of Western North Carolina,” but rather have made a universal Carolina recipe that you can sauce up with two or three styles of Carolina BBQ sauces. Even the coleslaw can go north or south. There is a minor debate about whether or not to use a rub, with purists generally preferring to salt the pork roast–a practice most smoking chefs don’t approve of. If you wish to use a rub, use the Memphis Rib Rub, p.00, which is quite similar to Carolina rubs.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• 3 to 4 pound Boston Butt pork roast

• 6 to 8 Kaiser rolls

• Carolina Cole Slaw

• 3 cups shredded cabbage

• 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

• Slaw Dressing

• 4 teaspoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

• ½ teaspoon celery seeds

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce Choices

• North Carolina Barbecue Sauce, recipe below

• South Carolina Mustard Sauce, recipe below

If using a rub, sprinkle it thickly over the roast and allow to sit, covered, at room temperature, for 3 hours. Start a fire and place the roast in the smoker on a rack. Place a drip pan beneath the grill as this roast will drip a lot of fat. Smoke the roast with 200 degree F. smoke for 4 or more hours, or until it is falling off the bone, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.

Mix together the ingredients for the salad in a bowl. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in another bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove the roast from the smoker, transfer to a cutting board, and allow to sit for 20 minutes. With your fingers, remove any skin and fat from the roast. Pull the pork into thin pieces about an inch and a half long. This is slippery work and
tedious, so if you get frustrated, take out a knife and chop the pork into ½ inch pieces. Then change the name of this recipe to Carolina Chopped Pork Sandwiches.

To serve, place the pork on the buns, spread the sauce of choice over the pork, and then add coleslaw to taste.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

The addition of cumin and chiles give these pork chops a wonderful Southwestern flavor. You can grill them over charcoal, gas, or wood. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

• 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup chopped onions

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 thick-cut pork chops

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients, except the pork, and marinate the pork in the mixture for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the chops from the marinade and grill until done.

Serving Suggestions: The remaining marinade can be boiled for a few minutes and served on the side as a sauce.