Thai Pork Curry
A Winter Warmer…
Bloody freezing today I thought as I justified turning the central heating on before breakfast. Now any normal person would stay indoors and keep warm but not I. For fear of melting another ice cap if I left the heating on I decided to go for a walk in the coldest wood this side of Siberia. Well perhaps a slight exageration but it’s called artists licence and is used to build up tension suspense.
Anyway, I wanted to remind myself what fresh air felt like after three months inside a kitchen and now I know. It’s cold. A bracing march through a dense wood followed by a pleasant hour watching a harrier soaring above a desolate field in search of mice built up an appetite. On days like these there is only one ingredient I can think about, chilli. It really is the mother of all winter ‘must have’s’ and I have plenty of them to get through.
Pork was todays meat of choice and Thailand the venue for inspiration. Enough diced pork for two people or two dinners if, like me you live all alone at this especially difficult time over the festive period. Note: You can send your donations to the “I Feel Sorry For Miles so Here’s Some Cash” Fund via this blog. All major credit cards accepted. Back to the porker, marinade the meat in a teaspoon of turmeric and a turn of the salt and pepper mill and leave to stand for an hour or more. Soak a couple of long dried chillies at the same time, don’t use too much boiling water to soak them in because you want to keep the water to flavour the paste.
Crush two cloves of garlic and a thumb sized piece of ginger in a pestle and mortar or food blender, add the softened and deseeded chillies along with a chopped onion, a stem of lemongrass, a teaspoon of toasted shrimp paste and a bunch of coriander. Make a masala from a tablespoon of crushed coriander seeds, four cloves, ten cardamom pods, six to eight cashew nuts lightly toasted and a small piece of cinnamon. When these have been ground to a fine powder add to the paste mix along with some of the chilli water and puree until everything is thoroughly combined.
Fry the pork in a couple of spoons of vegetable oil until nicely coloured, add the paste and turn the heat down. Cook for four minutes. Add a teaspoon of palm sugar and a good glug of fish sauce and cook until everything is nicely caramelised, add five or six lime leaves and a stick of bruised lemongrass for good measure. Cover with hot water and leave to cook slowly for an hour and a half.
Have a hot bath because your back hurts from the gym and your legs from the walk. Get dried, pour wine, cook rice and check curry. Finish with more fresh coriander. Eat and allow chillies to heat your body. No need for the heating!! There is something about Thai curries which makes me come back for more, they are distinctly diffferent from Indian curries and equally as delicious. There really is nothing quite like the combination of lemongrass, fish sauce, chilli and coriander…
NB: Thanks to Melissa for inadvertently showing me I did a virtually identical post on November 22nd. It proved so popular I decided to do an encore 
Miles,
So your place has the odour of delicious Thai curry and mine Czech & Speake bath oil…. how sublime in both cases and thoroughly warming. Another fabulous recipe for all of us to try Miles, thank you and I will attempt to recreate it.
My lot are busy planning the next party for New Year’s and I’ve hardly recovered from the last one…. what’s a girl to do? Well, stick the electric foot massager on and have another cup of China tea that’s what!
Cid
December 28, 2008 @ 8:27 pm
Cid,
See note above. I’m losing it!! I put it down to stress
Miles
December 28, 2008 @ 9:39 pm
Miles,
It just goes to show Melissa is on the ball unlike the rest of us who never take a blind bit of notice
Cid
December 28, 2008 @ 10:03 pm
Cid,
Wake Up at the back!!! Now pay attention, tomorrow I shall write a riveting post on the ‘holding’ qualities of lecithin. Bet you can’t wait
Miles
December 28, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
Miles,
You hadn’t posted this one when I referred to your other post. Seriously. I just remembered lifting that scrumptious curry recipe last month, so I went back, found it and linked to it to make my life easier.
:-)
I had no idea it had resurfaced. It’s worthy of an encore anyway and I hope you don’t think this was a virtual across the pond toe stub.
Melissa
December 29, 2008 @ 12:22 am
I must say, that recipe sounds delicious, Miles. I was raised on strong curry, so methinks I’ll be adding a few extra chillies
I thought that I might share this view with everyone. The image quality isn’t all that good, since the pic was taken with my mobile phone. [IMG]http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3517/schoeniesqr9.jpg[/IMG] It’s one of my favourite local beaches
December 29, 2008 @ 6:53 am
Melissa,
No problem! It’s a little different anyway, as for my toe, well I now avoid the dining room to kitchen route whenever possible
Miles
December 29, 2008 @ 8:28 am
Xenny,
Sorry the image didn’t come through. If you want to email it to me at miles@gourmetfoodsource.net I’ll see what I can do. I’m sure a nice beach picture would lift many a spirit right now. But then again….!!
Miles
December 29, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Miles,
Am I too late for the tutorial on leching (or something that sounded like it) …. only I’ve been out all day but rushed home in case I missed anything vital
Cid ~ ever vigilant!
December 29, 2008 @ 8:31 pm
Cid,
It’s used to keep things stiff
Miles
December 29, 2008 @ 9:02 pm
Miles,
I’m sure it’s in some of my organic cosmetics which explains a great deal, or so says my optician
Cid
December 29, 2008 @ 9:42 pm