While it's not traditional to serve Pork Vindaloo with crackling, the pork shoulder I buy for this recipe always has the rind attached, so I figure why not use it?! I remove the rind to roast on its own while I cook the meat in the curry and use it as a salty, crunchy topping on this delicious dish.
I must admit I rarely cook this curry with chilli on account of the kids, so I'm not sure you can still even call it a vindaloo which is a dish known for its fiery kick. But anyway I have included the chilli in my recipe for those of you who aren't blessed with children who dictate what you can and can't cook! #blessed #cookingforkids This recipe makes a double (or even triple, depending on your serving sizes) batch because pork shoulder tends to be sold in 2kg weights but don't worry, it's so good you'll be glad to have a bucket load. It freezes really well too, and a great option if you're batch cooking in preparation for a new baby or just stocking the freezer. The list of ingredients seems a bit long and daunting if you don't typically cook Indian food, but once you have stocked your pantry with these spices there are a whole heap of dishes that you can use them in like a gorgeous butter chicken.
“By the way, I am amazed at how affordable pork shoulder is, at around $7.50 per kilo it's a really great option if you're willing to put the time and effort into slow cooking it to that fall apart, tender stage and with its full flavour, I just love it.”
Pork Vindaloo with Crackling adapted from an SBS recipe
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1.5 hours
Serves: 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children with rice over 2 or 3 nights
2kg Pork Shoulder
15 Long Dried Red Chillis (leave out if serving for the kids)
1 Tablespoon of Cumin Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Mustard Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Fenugreek Seeds (from the Indian grocery)
10 Cardamom Pods, crushed
2 Tablespoons of Ground Ginger
1 Tablespoon for Tumeric
1/2 Cup of White Vinegar
2 Onions, sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, diced
1 Thumb Sized Piece of Ginger, grated
2 Bay Leaves
1 Litre of Chicken Stock
Coriander for garnish
Step 1- Using a sharp knife, remove the rind from the pork and set aside for roasting. Dice the pork meat into large bite-sized chunks.
Step 2- Soak the dried chillis in boiling water for 10 minutes until soft, then grind in a motar and pestle with the cumin, mustard, fenugreek and cardamom seeds until fine.
Step 3- Dry fry the ground spices together with the ground ginger, and tumeric for a couple of minutes until aromatic. Set aside with a bowl and mix with the white vinegar to make a paste.
Step 4- In a large pot, brown the pork shoulder meat in some oil (I like rice bran oil) in batches and remove.
Step 5- In the same pot and oil, saute the onion until soft, then stir through the garlic and ginger.
Step 6- Add back the pork, spice paste, bay leaves and enough chicken stock to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 1.5 hours or until fall apart tender.
Step 7- Meanwhile, when you have about 30 minutes cooking time remaining on the curry, roast the pork rind, sprinkled with salt in a roasting tray with a rack in the oven at 220c. When entirely crackled, remove from the oven and cut into chunks.
Step 7- Serve over rice (or cauliflower rice) with Greek yoghurt and mango chutney and top with crackling and coriander.