Pork Vindaloo

Pork Vindaloo

Pork is not often cooked at home, but I've always had vindaloo with pork so I had to continue that tradition.  This is my own take on vindaloo because my uses of spices and chili are minimal to suit the BIG MAN at home. At the supermarket, I found a package of pork that was already cut into pieces suitable for stew, so that saved me some time. This vindaloo is basically my recipe for meat curry with the addition of apple cider vinegar. Although potatoes are not added to a vindaloo, I like them in any and all meat curries. This dish tastes great with hot, steamed rice or any form of Indian bread.

Ingredients

1 lb. pork or any meat or chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 russet potato, peeled and each half cut in 8 pieces

2 onions, peeled and sliced in crescents

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 cloves

1 black cardamom

1 star anise

4-5 green cardamoms

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. roasted and ground cumin seeds

1 tsp. garam masala (ground cinnamon, cloves and cardamom)

2 Tbsp. deep fried onions

Marinade

2 onions, peeled and quartered

1 bulb garlic, peeled

2" knob ginger

2 medium tomatoes, quartered

1 green chili

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or paprika

salt to taste

1 Tbsp. vinegar or to taste

salt and sugar to taste

Directions

1. Wash meat thoroughly until water runs clear.
2. Coarsely grind cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and star anise with a mortar and pestle and set aside.
3. Make a paste from Marinade ingredients, smear over meat and marinate overnight in fridge.
4. The next day, remove meat from fridge, place on countertop and bring to room temperature.
5. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat and sputter ground spices.
6. Fry sliced onions and potatoes until golden brown.
7. Pour meat into pan and stir well until meat is coated with oil.
8. Reduce heat to medium and simmer under pressure until juices are released.
9. Cook under pressure for 20 minutes, remove from heat and leave on stovetop until pressure releases naturally for another 20 minutes.
10. Uncover pressure cooker, stir contents, adjust salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
11. Sprinkle cumin and garam masala powder over meat and stir through.
12. Garnish with deep fried onions.

Serve over hot, steamed rice or any Indian bread.