Geezer’s pork vindaloo

‘Growing up in England, we had access to some of the best Indian food so my vindaloo education started early and became an abiding passion. As young punks, we’d go to our favourite Indian restaurant several times a week and later, when I trained as a chef, I learned how to make it myself. This is my personal interpretation, honed over many years. Vindaloo was invented by the Portuguese in Goa and is notorious for being hot and spicy.’

Ian ‘Geezer’ Sharp, retail customer

Feeds: 4 | Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus marinating | Cooking time: 2 hours

1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) pork shoulder, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) dice, bone reserved (ask your butcher)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 brown onions, finely sliced

10 garlic cloves, finely sliced

5 cm (2 in) piece ginger, cut into matchsticks

4 green chillies, chopped

400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons black (Chinkiang) vinegar or malt vinegar

1 teaspoon jaggery or soft brown sugar

Mint, coriander (cilantro), lime wedges and steamed rice, to serve

Spice paste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 cardamom pods, crushed, husks removed

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 dried red chillies

1 teaspoon cloves

1 cinnamon stick, roughly broken

2 teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 star anise, broken

2 tablespoons white vinegar

To make the spice paste, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add spices and fry, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until swollen and fragrant. Cool, then finely grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. In a large bowl, combine ground spices with white vinegar.

Add pork to spice paste and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to marinate.

Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over low heat, add onion and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic, ginger and chilli, and stir well.

Add pork, increase heat to high, and fry, turning, for 3–5 minutes or until browned. Add tomatoes, Chinkiang or malt vinegar, 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water and any of the marinade liquid left in the bowl. Reduce the heat to medium and slowly bring back to the boil.

Add jaggery and pork bone. Cover tightly and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1½ hours or until the meat is very tender.

Discard bone. Season with salt to taste and serve with herbs, lime, rice and your favourite vegetable dish.