Goan Pork Vindaloo

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, so here's my recipe for an authentic Goan Pork Vindaloo. A vindaloo is a popular Indian dish, that comes from the Portugese "vinho de alho" (garlic wine) and was introduced to Goa by the Portugese.

Because they were colonized by the Portugese, the population of Goa is largely Roman Catholic, and it's one of the few places in India where pork is widely used. Any meat could be a vindaloo, but pork is the traditional choice. Most recipes call for shoulder or butt, but I used boneless pork loin. Here's how to prepare.

Goan Pork Vindaloo

1-1.5 lbs. pork loin
2 medium onions
2 tbs fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3-4 red chiles, chopped
1/2 cup vinegar (red wine or apple cider)
3 tbsp curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 black peppercorns
3 cloves
2 cups water

Mix the ginger, garlic, chiles, and spices (salt, pepper, brown sugar, curry, cloves, and cinnamon) into the vinegar to make the vindaloo paste. Cut the pork into cubes and marinate in the paste for at least two hours.

Finely chop the onions and fry until soft. Remove the pork from the vindaloo paste and fry until brown on all sides. Add the marinade and water, bring to a boil, and simmer on low for 1-2 hours. Or even better, simmer all day in a crockpot set to low.

Serve with white rice (preferably basmati). The combination of sweet and sour and spicy is really tasty, with a slow burn that can turn potent if you eat it too quickly. It matches well with cheap Chilean Merlot from Trader Joe's, which provides three continents in one meal!