Goan Pork Sorpotel

Goan Pork Sorpotel is traditionally made not only with pork meat and liver but also some other important innards/offals of the pig. I however, use only the pork meat and liver in sorpotel. This dish also has many variations, with Mangalorians, Goans and East Indians having their own variations. This recipe is how my mother cooks it. She gets rave reviews for it too.

Serves: 8 to 10 Persons

Prep. & Cook Time: I will not specify time on this dish because it is quite a lengthy procedure. However, the good part is you can choose to do it in intervals.

Ingredients:

• Boneless Pork (with fat cut into large chunks) – 1 kg.
• Pork Liver (cut into 2 chunks) – 250 gms.
• Onions (finely chopped) – 3 large
• Garlic (with skin, pounded lightly) – 10 cloves
• Ginger (pounded lightly) – 1 inch
• Cinnamon – 2 inch
• Cloves – 10
• Turmeric – ½ tsp.
• Palm Jaggery (grated) – 2 tbsp.
• Tamarind – 1 small marble sized (soaked in ½ cup hot water)
• Vinegar – 2 tbsp.
• Sugar – 1 tsp.
• Oil – 2 tbsp.
• Salt – 1 ½ tbsp. or to taste

For the Masala:

• Kashmiri Red Chillies (deseeded) – 25
• Garlic (peeled) – 40 cloves
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Cloves – 32
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp.
• Pepper Corns – 2 tsp.
• Cinnamon – 3 inch
• Palm Vinegar – ½ cup

Step 1:     Soak the red chillies in the vinegar for at least 4 hours. Meanwhile apply salt and turmeric to the meat and liver and leave aside for 30 minutes. After 4 hours, grind the chillies and the vinegar with all the ingredients listed under masala to a fine paste.

Step 2:     Meanwhile, boil the meat and the liver with the ginger, garlic, cinnamon and cloves (listed under ingredients) and two cups of water for 30 to 40 minutes. Let it cool. On cooling, remove the meat chunks. Strain and reserve the stock.

Step 3:     Separate the fatty pieces of meat, less fatty pieces and liver. Cut each portion into small pieces (1 cm x 1 cm) and keep them all in separate bowls.

Step 4:     Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a deep pan. Add the chopped fatty meat and fry lightly on medium heat till a nice light brown (Over frying will make the meat hard and bitter). Remove the fried fatty pieces and put in the stock that you had reserved (the pork oil/lard will also be released in this process, but do not discard).

Step 5:     In the same pan use the oil released from the fat, to fry the less fatty meat till light golden. Remove and put in the stock. Next do the same for the liver till light golden brown (be especially careful with the liver, over-frying will ruin your dish)

Step 5:     In the same pan with the fat oil/lard, add the chopped onions and sauté till soft and translucent. Add the ground masala paste and mix. Cook covered on low heat till oil separates from the masala. Stir two to three times in between to prevent the masala from sticking to the pan. This should take about 10 minutes.

Step 6:     Add the jaggery and sugar and mix for a minute. Now add all the fried meat, including the stock into the pan and mix well. Allow to cook covered on low heat for 10 minutes.

Step 7:     Add 1 ½ cups warm water to the pan. Pulp and strain the tamarind into the pan. Stir well. Let it come to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for about 20 minutes.

Step 7:     Check for salt and sourness. Add salt or vinegar if required. Cover and cook on low heat for a further 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave covered.

Note:

• For best taste cook at least two days in advance. Keep in the refrigerator and heat and eat portions as required.
• Best served with pao, sannas or Goan rice.