What do you serve when you have two teenaged nephews over for the weekend in a house already populated by four men? When you know that the two people visiting are capable of consuming the gross food production of some small island nations all by themselves in a single sitting? Casserole came to mind, but since both of my nephews are fond of spicy foods there really was only one choice for me. Curry.
A curry might seem a strange choice for boys raised eating primarily Southern American and Californian cuisines, but on a night of complete chaos and a house filled with 5 boys it seemed about perfect to me. The rice cooker did all the work on the grain for me and the curry required little monitoring while cooking, which left me free to put out fires in other parts of the house.
About 1/4 of the way through cooking, all of that was a mute point. The older two boys were hovering in the kitchen by then, with mutterings of “When is dinner” and “That smells Great!” A definite testament to the power of curry, and to the power of a teenager’s hunger.
In the end, this one was a real winner. There were calls for seconds and thirds from most of the kids and all 6 cups of rice were demolished. (I made more rice to get the photos above.) This was not a terribly spicy dish, but one packed with a massive amount of flavor that I’m sure your family will enjoy as well.
Pork and Pepper Curry
Ingredients:
(Note that these are approximate amounts. I was pretty busy when I put this together! Feel free to adjust to your preference and desired heat level.)
- 2 pounds pork shank steak, cut in small cubes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large bell peppers, diced
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp Adobo Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika (or hot paprika, if you prefer)
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 1 – 14 ounce can coconut milk (or 8 ounces heavy cream)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned. (Don’t worry about doing this in batches. It’s just a flavor enhancing step.)
Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. (About 2 minutes.) Stir in the peppers and cook for about another minute.
Add all spices, stirring to coat, then add stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes or until pork is tender.
Add coconut milk or cream and stir to combine. Check for seasoning, adjust if necessary.
Serve over cooked rice or with flatbreads.
Share and enjoy!
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
Aside from no having 5 kids running around like wild men, the curry itself was amazing. I don’t think that it really needed much else. From the response it got at the table, I’m actually quite confident in calling this one a winner from the outset.
Links to other recipes like this:
- Green Coconut and Pork Curry, from Apartment Therapy
- Hot pork Curry with Roti, from Anne’s Cooking
- Apricot Curry Glazed Pork Loin Chops, from CbsoP
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I am really glad you posted this, for many reasons. I love curry, so that makes it immediately appealing. Beyond that, though, I just found a great pastured pork vendor at my farmer’s market, so I know I can get some amazing meat for it. Looks delicious!
.-= Haley J.´s last blog ..Spice Crusted Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce =-.
@Haley J.
Glad you liked it! Hope you tweak the recipe and make it your own. those are the best recipes.
I have to say your use of spice is almost perfect with this recipe but the meat is a strange choice. If I do say so myself I have extensive curry experience and Pork lends itself terriblly to curry. I will definitely try this one with an alternate meat though. Looks a good job to me.