Vindaloo technique assistance needed

[NYChristopher]

As I have developed patience in the kitchen, I have learned to do things like working with loads of individual spices, properly measuring them out, toasting, grinding, you get the picture.

Recently, I have tried making both chicken vindaloo and pork vindaloo and I've had one consistent problem: inability of the flavors to penetrate the meat.

In the case of the chicken, I used my favorite cut: thigh. For the pork, which I have only made once, I cubed some center cut pork chops which I feared from the beginning would be dry.

Her is the recipe I used for the pork vindaloo:
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/internati...

Quite tasty, even though I used yellow mustard seed instead of black mustard seed, which along with the dried red peppers, I did not have.

So, please, offer this novice some assistance. How do I turn this into a dish where the paste permeates the meat as opposed to meat in sauce.

Thanks in advance.

[bakergal]

Most restaurants pre-cook the meat in a special spicy sauce and then add the pre-cooked meat to the vindaloo sauce when cooking an order. If you're looking for the restaurant taste, that's what you have to do.

[cocktailhour]

make your vindaloo paste. cook your ginger garlic and then add the paste. use plenty of oil. you may also need a little water. you want the oil to separate and color from the spices.add the pork and water and cook. don't brown the pork, it creates a crust and the flavors can't permeate. use pork shoulder maybe.

I don't use pork in Indian cooking, usually chicken. I would also consider adding some tomato when cooking the spice paste. Cook for a long time untilthe tomato is unrecognizable. and/or add yogurt a bit at a time after you add the meat. I don't know that either are authentic to vindaloos.

Also check Julie Sahni and Madhur jaffrey for other recipes and techniques.

[JungMann]

These are perfect and, for the most part, accurate recommendations. Vindaloo does not have yogurt, but tomato is not unheard of. And definitely try using pork shoulder.

[NYChristopher]

I have a recipe I usually use for chicken that uses tomatoes and liked it. I thought the pork was worth trying because I hadn't expected it, didn't know of the Portuguese take on the dish and because I rather like pork, generally speaking. I will say from this particular experience that the browning of the pork, and the crust it created that prevented the flavors from permeating, was probably a technique mistake. I'll also try shoulder, which I have used for pernil.

Thank you all for your help.

[MysticYoYo]

How long do you marinate your protein? I have marinated chicken 24 hours for some Indian recipes (not vindaloo, but still...) and it made a world of difference as far as permeation and tenderness was concerned.

[dtud]

i also think marinating overnight at least will help

[NYChristopher]

Not nearly long enough, apparently ... I'll try to marinate longer next time, thanks.

[Eric in NJ]

OK hold on 5 identical posts won't get the answer. Wait an hour or so someone will answer.

[NYChristopher]

Sorry ... when I went to post it said "problem, go back" so I did, and then I hit submit again.

Eeek!

[Eric in NJ]

No problem I've done the same