The Best Goan Pork Roast

You are going to be impressed with how this inexpensive cut of meat turns into the most delicious and flavourful meal! Stick around because today we are platin’ up Goan Pork Roast. This Pork Roast recipe is so easy to prepare and a classic Goan delicacy!

Ingredients

• 1½ kg Pork Shoulder 

  
  

For the Marinate

• 2 inches Cinnamon Stick

• 1 tsp (55-60) Black Peppercorns 

• 10 Cloves 

• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder

• 2 tsp Salt 

• 2 Green Chillies

• 1½  inches Ginger 

• 8-10 Garlic Cloves

• ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar/ Goan Vinegar/ Red Wine Vinegar

For Cooking 

• 2-3 tbsp Oil

• 2 inches Cinnamon Stick

• ¼ tsp (10-12) Black Peppercorns 

• 8 Cloves

• 6 Dried Kashmiri Chillies

• 3-4 Garlic Cloves, smashed

• 1 inch Ginger, coarsely cut

• 2 Onions (large, sliced)

• 1 tsp Salt 

• 1½ tsp Sugar  

• 1½ cup (350 ml) Water (or as required)

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the pork.

2. In the small jar of a mixer-grinder, add the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds and salt.  Grind to a fine powder.

3. Now add the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic cloves. 

4. Pour in the vinegar and grind till you have a smooth spice mix.  Now add the turmeric powder and mix it with the spice mix till well blended.

5. Smother the meat with the marinate on all sides making sure to get every nook and cranny.  Cover the bowl with the marinated meat and keep it aside for an hour or overnight for best results.

6. When it is almost an hour into the marination time, prep the ingredients you will need to cook the meat. So smash down the garlic cloves to release the oils, coarsely chop the ginger and slice, mince or cube the onions.

7. Take a deep pot and heat it over medium heat.  Add the oil and once the oil has heated, toss in the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cloves, and Kashmiri chillies, I like to break them into two when adding them in. 

8. Now increase the heat to medium-high and add the garlic, ginger and sliced onions.  Sprinkle a little salt and sauté till the onions turn translucent.

9. Now increase the heat to high and keep a thin layer of the sautéed onions at the bottom moving the rest to the sides of the pot.  

10. Place only the marinated meat in the pot, leaving behind any marinade or liquid that may be left behind in the bowl.   

11. Sprinkle the sugar on the meat,  and sear the meat on all sides. The sugar is going to balance the flavours and will also caramelize, helping the searing process.

12. Pour water into the bowl in which the meat was marinating to pick up all the leftover marinate.  

13. Lower the heat to medium and pour the liquid into the pot with the meat.  Give it a quick swirl and place some of the onions on top of the meat.  Cover the pot with a lid and allow it to cook for about 15 minutes.  Then remove the lid,  turn the meat on another side, place some onions on top of the meat, cover the pot with the lid and allow it to cook for another 15 minutes.   Continue the process for another two turns making the total cooking time 1 hour.  To check the doneness take a fork and poke it through the meat, If it goes in smoothly you know the meat is cooked.

14. Take the pot off the heat and allow the meat to cool before cutting it into slices.

15. To plate it,  I like to take some of the gravy and place it at the bottom of the platter before sliding the well-sliced pork on the top. 

16. This pork roast can be served as a main dish,  or a side, it also makes excellent sandwiches.