Pork Sorpotel

Sorpotel is a dish of Portuguese origin which is a very famous Goan delicacy. The word 'Sorpotel' is taken from the Konkani word soro which literally translates to liquor or alcohol. It is prepared for special occasions like weddings, birthdays etc. This dish is prepared using pork which is spicy and cooked in a vinegar sauce along with the famous 'feni' of Goa. Hence, the name sorpotel.

Pork sorpotel is a fiery dish since it is prepared using a medley of spices. The flavour comes from the aromatic spices, vinegar and tamarind that are absorbed by the meat as it is cooked slowly over the heat. It is a must-try recipe for all the pork lovers as it is sure to tickle your senses. So, check out the delicious recipe for pork sorpotel and let the dish speaks for itself.

Serves: 3-4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• Pork (Combination of Pork Liver + Tongue+ Kidney + Heart)- ½ kg
• Dried Pork Blood- 1tbsp/ 100 gms
• Onion- 3 medium sized
• Green chilli- 3-4
• Oil for frying- ½ cup
• Feni (coconut, cashew)- 1 peg
• Salt- as per taste

For the Masala

• Vinegar- 4-5tbsp
• A walnut sized ball of tamarind (Soak the tamarind in water and remove the pulp)
• Kashmiri chillies- 20
• Cumin seeds- 1tsp
• Peppercorns- 12
• Turmeric Powder- 1tsp
• Cloves- 6
• Cinnamon stick- 2 inch
• Garlic- 10 cloves
• Sugar- 2tsp
• Ginger- 1 inch

Procedure

1. Make a fine paste of the ginger, garlic, red chillies, cloves, cumin seeds etc (ingredients listed under "for Masala") with vinegar, and if needed very little water, preferably stick to vinegar.
2. Wash the dry blood thrice, squeeze and set aside.
3. Wash and boil the pork and liver, tongue (delicately remove the rough skin from the top of the tongue off) kidney and heart.
4. Once the meat is tender, take it out and dice it fine into small cubes.(even the fats, they will give flavor and melt anyway). Keep the meaty water stock aside, we will need it later on.
5. Fry the meat in a pan without using any oil till the meat attains an even brown colour. (Fry in batches, the fatty pieces first so that they will release the oil, then the meat and then the insides)
6. Heat oil in a big cooking pan, add the sliced onions and fry for 3-4 minutes till they are golden brown in colour.
7. Add the ground paste and fry till the oil leaves the sides of the pan.
8. Add the fried pork and dried blood along with meaty water stock that we kept aside, salt and Feni.
9. Cover and cook on a low flame till meat is tender.
10. Add slit green chillies and cook further on a low flame for 10 minutes.
11. For a special flavour twist, cook it the following day for another 20 minutes and again for 1-2 days more.
12. Serve with steamed rice or bread.

Sorpotel tastes better if it is allowed to ‘pickle' for a couple of days after being prepared.