On my mother's second death anniversary, I would like to honour her by sharing her much loved red masala pork roast. A dish that she prepared for special occasions, spicy and sour, in perfect harmony. The aroma that fills the air whilst the dish is cooking will make you salivate reminiscent of sausage meat. Once served, it will vanish in no time.
The meat is marinated with a spice paste ground in vinegar and pressured cooked on low heat for a couple of hours until it is tender. Though the red masala paste is common in Goan cooking, what's gives this dish its unique flavour is the addition of coconut oil. Sliced onions add a nice element to the dish, which I prefer to incorporate during the last few minutes of cooking to prevent them from disintegrating. Absolutely divine, aromatic, tasty and memorable dish.
Pork shoulder is ideal for roasting as it is a heavily exercised muscle, relatively tough cut with a great deal of marbled fat. Long, slow cooking keeps the shoulder moist, tenderizing it with the fat basting the meat as it
cooks and improving the flavour. Fat is essential for a good pork roast. Also known as lard, pork fat is relatively high in saturated fat but has a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat, which is oleic acid, a heart healthy essential fatty acid found in olive oil and associated with decreasing LDLs, thus lowering bad cholesterol. Eating in moderation as part of a balanced diet is key.
The meat is marinated with a spice paste ground in vinegar and pressured cooked on low heat for a couple of hours until it is tender. Though the red masala paste is common in Goan cooking, what's gives this dish its unique flavour is the addition of coconut oil. Sliced onions add a nice element to the dish, which I prefer to incorporate during the last few minutes of cooking to prevent them from disintegrating. Absolutely divine, aromatic, tasty and memorable dish.
Pork shoulder is ideal for roasting as it is a heavily exercised muscle, relatively tough cut with a great deal of marbled fat. Long, slow cooking keeps the shoulder moist, tenderizing it with the fat basting the meat as it
cooks and improving the flavour. Fat is essential for a good pork roast. Also known as lard, pork fat is relatively high in saturated fat but has a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat, which is oleic acid, a heart healthy essential fatty acid found in olive oil and associated with decreasing LDLs, thus lowering bad cholesterol. Eating in moderation as part of a balanced diet is key.
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My Mother's Red Masala Pork Roast
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 kgs pork shoulder (bone-in)
1 large onion (sliced)
1 cup tamarind water
1/2 bouillon cube (Maggi, Knorr or Aurora)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons coconut oil
a pinch of sugar
salt
Grind to a slightly coarse paste with 1 to 1 1/2 cups vinegar
10 red dried Kashmiri chillies
10 peppercorns
8 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5" each)
4 green cardamoms
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
6 large cloves of garlic
1" ginger
Method:
Wash pork and season with salt. Apply ground paste and marinate meat overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker and sear meat on all sides. Add any leftover marinade, tamarind water along with two cups of water. Cook on low heat for 2 hours opening occasionally to turn meat. In the last half hour, add onion and check for seasoning. Add bouillon cube, sugar and salt.
Cut roast into slices and serve drizzled with gravy.
Note:
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 kgs pork shoulder (bone-in)
1 large onion (sliced)
1 cup tamarind water
1/2 bouillon cube (Maggi, Knorr or Aurora)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons coconut oil
a pinch of sugar
salt
Grind to a slightly coarse paste with 1 to 1 1/2 cups vinegar
10 red dried Kashmiri chillies
10 peppercorns
8 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5" each)
4 green cardamoms
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
6 large cloves of garlic
1" ginger
Method:
Wash pork and season with salt. Apply ground paste and marinate meat overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker and sear meat on all sides. Add any leftover marinade, tamarind water along with two cups of water. Cook on low heat for 2 hours opening occasionally to turn meat. In the last half hour, add onion and check for seasoning. Add bouillon cube, sugar and salt.
Cut roast into slices and serve drizzled with gravy.
Note:
- I used 1 1/2 cups vinegar to grind the ingredients to a slight coarse paste.
- One cup tamarind water and 2 cups plain water was sufficient to cook the meat on low heat.
- Dish was perfectly balanced with spice and sour.
