RECIPE
March 7, 2016
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13
Slow cookers bring out the
best in pork and Indian flavors
By Meera Sodha
The Associated Press
here’s a real joy in slowing down in the kitchen.
Gone is the frantic stress of trying to get dinner on
the table in an instant and in its place comes a
different type of gentle cooking. It allows beautiful smells
to waft through the house and ingredients to mingle
and develop over time into something deep, rich, and
flavorful.
Of all slow-cooked dishes, Goan pork vindaloo is my
favorite. Originally a Portuguese stew made with meat,
garlic, and wine, the dish made its way to India in the
1500s with Portuguese explorers. Like so many other
dishes, it then was reinterpreted. Today, vindaloo curry is
a sweet, hot, and sour dish popular all over the world.
Though the modern recipe, like the original dish, still
uses garlic and wine vinegar, it has changed to include
chilies and lots of warming spices, such as cinnamon,
cumin, and cloves. I like to use a cheaper and fattier cut of
meat, such as pork shoulder, which responds well to a slow
braise and shows its true colors after a few hours to
become the best type of pork — succulent, sweet, and soft.
Whatever happens, rest assured that there are no
wrong moves with slow cooking. It’s one of the only
T
PERFECT PORK. Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Vindaloo, a recipe by
Meera Sodha, is seen in Concord, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Matthew
Mead)
mediums of cooking that creates a level playing field
between the pro chef and the amateur. It gives you the
flexibility to sample and adjust as you go until it tastes
just right. The only trouble is that after several hours of
cooking, it will only take a few minutes to eat.
Editor’s note: Meera Sodha is an Indian foods expert
and author of Made in India: Recipes from an Indian
Family Kitchen. She currently lives in London.
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Vindaloo
Start to finish: 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours (1/2 hour active)
Servings: 4
4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
20 black peppercorns
1 star anise
3-inch cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger, grated
(plus extra to serve)
2 teaspoons chili powder
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and
cut into 1-inch cubes
Plain Greek-style yogurt, to serve
Cooked basmati rice, to serve
If you’re nervous about the amount of chili powder, halve the amount called for in the recipe. It will still be
delicious. If your slow cooker doesn’t have a sauté setting, start the dish in a large sauté pan, then transfer to a slow
cooker.
Set the slow cooker to sauté mode. Add one tablespoon of the oil and heat until hot. Add the peppercorns, star
anise, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly, until the peppercorns and cloves
swell and are fragrant. Transfer the spices to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Grind until smooth, then add the
garlic, ginger, and chili powder. Grind again, then transfer to a small bowl and stir in the vinegar. Set aside.
Heat the remaining three tablespoons of oil in the slow cooker. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring often,
until brown and caramelized. Add the tomatoes and cook for five minutes. Add the spice paste, salt, and sugar. Stir
well, then add the pork. Coat the pork with the paste then add just enough water to cover the meat. Stir well, then
cover and cook for three hours on high or five hours on low, or until the meat is completely tender and straining to
hold its shape.
Wondering what events are going on this week?
Check out The Asian Reporter’s Community and A.C.E. Calendar sections, on pages 10 and 12.
How do you share health?
At Health Share, we believe good health
is more than what happens inside your
doctor’s offi ce. Good health starts in your
community and includes staying active,
eating healthy food and getting regular
check-ups.
SEEKING THE CUP. Toronto FC acquired Tsubasa Endoh with the
ninth overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft. Endoh, who was born in Tokyo,
previously played for the University of Maryland Terrapins and Team Ja-
pan’s junior teams. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
Asian talent aids MLS
teams now and in the future
Continued from page 8
forward, has played for the
University of Maryland
Terrapins
and
Team
Japan’s junior teams. With
the
Terrapins,
Endoh
scored 12 goals and
notched 16 assists, earning
offensive MVP honors in
the Big Ten championship
and reaching the 2013
NCAA final.
In the scouting combine
before the draft, Endoh was
also named MVP, which
explains his excellent draft
position. Toronto’s scoring
attack already includes
U.S. men’s team star
Michael Bradley, veteran
French midfielder Benoit
Cheyrou, and 2015 MLS
MVP Sebastian Giovinco.
Adding Endoh, who can
play as a midfielder or
forward,
could
help
Toronto continue its rise.
Last but not least, the
Vancouver
Whitecaps
recently signed Japanese
striker Masato Kudo. The
25-year-old
Kudo
has
played six seasons with
Kashiwa Reysol, a team in
Japan’s J1 League. Despite
his youth, he is Kashiwa’s
all-time leading scorer,
with 92 goals in 260
appearances,
and
he
helped the team win the
2011 J1 League champion-
ship and the 2013 J.
League Cup.
In addition, Kudo has
two
goals
in
four
appearances
for
the
Japanese national team.
Able to score with either
foot, Kudo brings an
appealing versatility to a
Vancouver squad that
scored in the middle of the
pack in 2015 among MLS
teams and ranked near the
bottom in assists.
With the MLS growing to
24 teams by 2020, making
it the largest top-flight
soccer league in the world,
teams will find themselves
looking increasingly to the
east to fill their squads.
Then, the quantity will
certainly rise to match the
quality of Asian MLS
talent.
Think you’re
an organ and
tissue donor?
Not if you haven’t
told your family.
Share your healthy habits with family and
friends. We can all have better health
when we share it together.
Talk to your family about
organ and tissue donation.
Talk to your family
about donating life.
For a free donor card
brochure, contact:
www.healthshareoregon.org
Donate Life Northwest
(503) 494-7888
1-800-452-1369
www.donatelifenw.org
Immigrant and Refugee
Community Organization