Serves 5
Ingredients
4 -5 Smoked Pork Ribs (These are semi cooked, or rather 60% cooked owing to the smoking technique with partially cooks the meat during this process)
1 Large Bowl of hot water
1-2 Lemons, cut in half
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder or Ghost Chili Powder
1 Whole Garlic pod, peeled
6'' Stick Ginger or 2 pieces of 3'' sticks of ginger
3 Bird's Eye Chili
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
1/2 Cup Tender Bamboo, precooked or preserved but freshly cooked is always better
1 Medium sized Onion, finely diced
2-3 Tomatoes
2.5 Cups of Pork stock or Water
1 -2 tsps Salt, add according to taste
Method using Pressure Cooker
First you will need to clean the char from the coal on the pork, this is usually caused by the hours of smoking the meat and it blackens it a bit while still giving it a smoke flavour. However, it isn't the best to use when cooking immediately as it may start releasing it's black residue in the curry. To clean the pork, soak it in hot water for 40 mins. After this take each rib and rinse it under running water using the lemon. Rinse each side for 10-15 seconds only. Don't over rinse this as the meat may lose its smoky flavour. It should be just enough to clean it a bit.
Clean all the ribs and keep aside. Meanwhile blend the ginger, garlic and bird's eye chilis to make a paste.
Take a pressure cooker, add the lard and heat for a minute. Add the onions and fry till golden brown, then add the ginger, garlic and chili paste to this and fry a little more for a couple of minutes. Keep on low-medium flame throughout.
Now add the tomatoes and fry for 5 more minutes, then the bamboo and sautee till the mixture is sticking to the bottom. Add the stock or the water and give the mixture a stir. Add the chili powder, the pork ribs and a tsp of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Cover the pressure cooker and allow to cook for 20-30 mins (basically 1-2 whistles). The reason you need only 1 or 2 whistles is because the meat is already partially cooked and needs little more time to cook fully. Check the tenderness of the meat, it should be soft enough to be pulled apart from the bone. If it isn't give it a second whistle before turning it off.
Remove the ribs from the cooker and place it on a plate, leaving the gravy to reduce further. If the gravy is too runny, allow it to simmer for 15 mins or so in the pressure cooker itself. Making it thick enough. Meanwhile let the ribs cool. Then break or cut the pieces away from the bone. You may feel free to leave the ribs as is as well and put them back in curry once it's reduced enough.
I pull the meat out of the bone and put it back in the curry to let the bamboo and chili flavour be completely blended in the meat pieces as well.
Serve with rice, dal and leafy vegetables.
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