Sweet and sour braised pork with tamarind and curry leaves
Source: Nik Sharma
INGREDIENTS
YIELD: 4 SERVING(S)
1 kg boneless pork shoulder/butt
3 tbsp neutral oil
500ml stock (of your choice) or water
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
10-12 curry leaves
4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into thin slices
2 tbsp roasted peanuts or pumpkin seeds
For the Marinade:
4 tbsp tamarind concentrate
50g dark brown sugar
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp dried red chilli powder (preferably hot)
1 tsp ground black pepper
preparations
1
Trim and discard most of the fat from the pork, then cut the meat into 2.5cm cubes. Mix all the marinade ingredients to form a paste, then apply this to the pork in a large bowl, using your fingers to coat the meat well all over. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two hours.
2
Once the pork has marinated, heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the pork to the hot oil, in batches if need be, and saute for about four minutes, until it is just starting to brown. Stir in the stock, bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, until tender. Taste and add salt if necessary. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish.
3
Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger and curry leaves, cover and swirl the pan until the leaves turn crisp and translucent – about a minute. Pour the hot oil, along with the ginger and curry leaves, over the pork.
4
Garnish with the spring onions and peanuts, and serve warm with plain rice.
