This Pulled Pork Vindaloo with Indian Coleslaw on Naan combines the pulled pork preparation of America’s South with the flavors of Goa, an Indian state located along the west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea.
Recently I hankered for pulled pork, a dish I hadn’t prepared in a long time. As I fantasized about this special dinner, I imagined succulent pork shreds in a piquant sauce. But I wanted to avoid pulled pork in the cloyingly sweet tomato or mustard barbecue sauce common in America. I yearned for a different hot and spicy, tart flavor profile, complementary to pork. Reflecting on the most memorable pork dishes I’ve eaten over the years, Goa’s pork vindaloo with its aromatic, tongue-tingling, vinegary taste came to mind. Worth a try, I thought.
The complex tastes and fragrance of Indian dishes often bring me joy and satisfaction. India’s 5,000-year multicultural history created an exceptional cuisine of diverse flavors and regional variations. Goan cooking, a prime example of this commingling, originates from Hindu vegetarian roots, influenced by a century of Muslim rule, followed by 451 years of Portuguese colonization. Muslims added meat, fish, nuts and rice to the Goan diet. The Portuguese brought European culinary practices and ingredients. In four and a half centuries of Portuguese rule, Goa developed two distinct cuisines in tandem with local culture: the original vegetarian cuisine prepared to this day by practicing Hindus and a Catholic cuisine of Hindu converts to Catholicism which uses pork and beef (meats that were and still are considered a taboo by Hindus of Goa), chili peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, vinegar, refined sugar and other ingredients of similarly named Portuguese dishes.
Goan cuisine, like that of other Indian regions, whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian, is characterized by sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Indian cooks have perfected the art of blending spices which play an essential role in the Indian kitchen. Virtually every Indian recipe starts with a masala, meaning “spice” in Hindi, a combination of spices, herbs and other condiments ground or blended together. The delicious aroma, great taste, unique color and finger-licking flavor of Indian food emanates from such special spice blends.
The name vindaloo, traditionally a pork stew made with chilis, onions, vinegar and a flavorful blend of spices, is derived from the Portuguese term for a garlic and wine (vinho e alho or vinha d’alhos) marinade. In Goa, vinegar substitutes for wine in the original Portuguese recipe. But it’s the special spice combination that makes vindaloo one of the most popular pork dishes in the world and I thought it should work well with pulled pork.
Vindaloo masala is a fragrant blend of red Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, clove, tamarind paste, cardamom, coriander and vinegar. Adding fresh green chilis enlivens this mixture with a jolt of heat creating a unique pork-enhancing taste.
Vindaloo spices and aromatics
Vindaloo additional flavorings: palm vinegar and tamarind paste
Thus, my mission was to combine the American pulled pork cooking technique with Goan flavors. I bought a boneless pork shoulder, the traditional hard-working, inexpensive meat used in American pulled pork, with an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat ideal for pulling. Some cooks say a bone-in shoulder moistens the meat, but I could only find boneless at the local meat market.
I dry-roasted the spices in a dry pan to reawaken flavor in the Indian manner. Since I don’t have a smoker, I added smoked paprika and a few drops of liquid smoke to the masala to recreate the smoky taste characteristic of American pulled pork. Then I assembled the vindaloo masala paste, half of which I used to marinate five pounds of pork for several hours. The potatoes and squash were marinated in the remaining vindaloo masala paste.
Goan recipes vary regarding adding potato and/or other vegetables into the vindaloo. Although purists prefer a vindaloo with meat and masala only, others add potatoes and pumpkin or squash directly to the Dutch oven as I did or cook them separately and serve on the side.
Finally, I placed the pork and the remaining seasonings into a dutch oven, and followed the slow and gentile American cooking method. I initially browned the meat by blasting it for 30 minutes in an open pan in a very hot oven. Then I wrapped the pan tightly in foil, reduced the heat to a low temperature and returned it to the oven for six hours of roasting. I added the vegetables after four hours of cooking. A final burst of heat in a very hot oven, about ten minutes, created a bark, the dark, rich, chewy, crusty, jerky-like rind suffused with incredible complex flavor on the surface of the pork. At this point, the internal temperature of the pork shoulder reached 195-205°F (91-96°C) and the connective tissue collagen dissolved into gelatin permitting the pork to be pulled. A tent of foil over the pork as it cooled enough to handle helped steam and soften the meat, after which the pork was gently teased apart by fingers.
Following Goan pork vindaloo practice, after pulling the pork into shreds, I let the meat rest for a day in the refrigerator to relax and absorb the juices and flavors before reheating. This overnight rest and chilling permits excess fat to be skimmed and renders succulent pulled pork which soaked up much of the cooking liquid, adding considerably to its deliciousness.
Admittedly, this Pulled Pork Vindaloo, while not difficult to assemble, takes a long time to cook using the conventional slow and long method, and is best as a weekend project. But the resulting shreds of pork are well-worth it. The final dish has a superlative flavor which intriguingly tingles the tongue with pepper, chili, ginger, clove and other spices, avoiding the dominant chili powder flavor of American pulled pork. The meat is smoky and juicy. The pot juices are piquant. Even though cooked in a dutch oven, not in a smoker, to my taste this Pulled Pork Vindaloo comes damn close to a perfect pulled pork as you can get in the kitchen.
Preparing this pulled pork in a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot will definitely shorten cooking time. While I have not tried this cooking method for this Pulled Pork Vindaloo, this recipe can easily be adapted to one of the many Instant Pot pulled pork recipes available online. The pork can be browned on the sauté setting before adding the remaining ingredients. The total high-pressure cooking time will range between 45-60 minutes. Although the pork will surely be cooked to pulling tenderness, I cannot say whether this abbreviated cooking time will develop the succulent flavor created by the conventional cooking method. I will use the Instant Pot method the next time I make this Pulled Pork Vindaloo and let you know how it tastes.
Pulled Pork Vindaloo with vegetables ready to eat
There are several ways to serve this Pulled Pork Vindaloo: mounded on basmati rice with Indian Coleslaw and raita or as a naan sandwich. Rather than serve this Pulled Pork Vindaloo the American way (stuffed into soft white rolls or baguettes), I continued the Indian theme. I served the shredded meat with Indian coleslaw on naan. (Recipes for Indian Coleslaw and Naan both are below.) The coleslaw adds a crisp and refreshing contrast to the hot, unctuous pork. The soft and chewy naan absorbs the juices but does not disintegrate as eaten. A helluva, delicious sandwich!
Pulled Pork Vindaloo
5 pounds (2.68 k) pork shoulder or pork loin
12-14 ounces (300-400 g) pumpkin or butternut squash, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
8 small Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
For the masala paste:
4-inch (10 cm) cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, heaping
5-6 cloves
2 tablespoons red Kashmiri chili powder (substitute with mild paprika)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4-inch (10 cm) piece fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves
8 green cardamom pods, seeds only
3-4 small red onions coarsely cut
2 fresh green chilies, about 4-5-inches long
1 heaping teaspoon ground turmeric
3½fl ounce (100ml) tamarind pulp *
6 ounces (177 ml) palm vinegar* (substitute with cider vinegar)
|4 ounces (118 ml) sunflower oil
|3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3-4 small red onions, diced (optional)
2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Garnish: 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, leaves only
Preparing masala paste: In a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, coarsely crush cinnamon, peppercorns and cloves. Gently toast this mixture in a dry frying pan over low heat until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add Kashmiri chili and smoked paprika in the last few minutes just to heat through. Set aside to cool.
Wash and dry fresh coriander. Finely slice the stalks. Wrap coriander leaves in moist paper towels and place in zippered plastic bag. Refrigerate for garnish.
In a food processor, combine and pureé ginger, garlic, onions, chilis, turmeric, coriander stalks and the cooled spice blend. Add tamarind pulp, vinegar, half of the oil, sugar and salt. Blend into a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Marinating meat: Place pork into a non-reactive bowl. Rub 1 cup of masala paste into pork shoulder. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Save remaining masala paste for later use.
Marinating pork shoulder
Cooking pulled pork: Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
Place the pork in the center of a dutch oven and roast in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add stock. Cover tightly with foil to ensure the meat doesn’t dry out. Reduce oven temperature to 250˚F (125˚C). Return dutch oven to oven and continue roasting for 5-6 hours.
Mix the pumpkin or squash and potatoes (if using) into remaining masala paste. Set aside.
Marinating vegetables
After 4 hours of roasting, lift foil and test pork with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature of the meat will not have reached 190˚F (89˚C). Add potatoes, squash and remaining diced onions, re-seal foil and continue cooking for another 2 hours. Vegetables may cook more quickly, so remove them as soon as they are cooked.
Cooked vegetables
Test the pork again after 6 hours. If the internal temperature has reached at least 190˚F (89˚C) and the meat is soft enough to pull, turn the oven back up to 425˚F (220˚C) and cook the pork, uncovered, for 10 minutes to crisp up. Remove meat from dutch oven, cover with a tent of foil and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Set aside the dutch oven and pot juices for later use. meat is cool enough to handle, pull pork apart with two forks or fingers into long strands and chunks. Once shredded, place back with the vegetables in the dutch oven. Cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator overnight.
Pulled Pork Vindaloo after pulling
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Remove pork from refrigerator and skim off fat before placing in oven to reheat for 30 minutes.
Serve with a spoon of coleslaw and vegetables on white roll or naan, garnish with chopped fresh coriander.
Pulled Pork Vindaloo sandwich with Indian Coleslaw on Naan
Serve pot liquor in a small pitcher on the side.
Makes 10-12 servings.
Indian Coleslaw
1 carrot, coarsely grated
2 cups cabbage, shredded 1½ cup green; ½ red
4 ounces daikon, coarsely grated
5-6 large radishes, coarsely grated
4 ounces celeriac, coarsely grated
1 red onion, small, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves. minced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
Juice of two limes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 green chilies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
Pinch of cumin powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Place carrot, cabbage, carrot, daikon, radishes, celeriac and onion in a large salad bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Spoon plain yogurt and mayonnaise into a separate bowl and whisk until creamy smooth. Whisk in mustard. Add the lime juice, brown sugar, chilies, coriander, garlic and cumin and whisk together until the dressing is the consistency of heavy cream. Check the seasoning, adjusting salt and pepper to taste. Allow to stand for about 20 minutes in the fridge.
Dress coleslaw just before serving.
Makes 6 cups
Naan, adapted from GeniusKitchen.com
1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour, plus a few tablespoons for flouring workspace
Combine 110-112˚F (43-44˚C) water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
Add salt and flour. Mix thoroughly. Knead dough on a floured workspace about 20 times and form into a tight ball. Put dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Put in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes until almost doubled in size.
Rolling naan into the traditional teardrop shape
Turn dough out onto a floured workspace. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll out with a rolling pin to about ⅛ inch (0.3 cm) thick.
Grill naan pieces on a grill or electric griddle or frying pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Grill for 1-2 minutes on each side until puffy and a few dark spots develop.
Fried Naan
Remove to cloth lined tray and keep warm until ready to serve.
Makes 8 naan.
*Available on-line and in Asian grocery stores.
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