Another year , another Kail Podh!  Some of us can’t help but indulge in a bit of boaring nostalgia for the” good old days”, when hunting for the pot was a way of life. If you can barely suppress that gleam in your eye when you hear about plump wild boar rooting about in the fields with brazen abandon, you’ll know what I mean. Now that’s fair game, to be sure, but only for the camera!

Ah, for a bit(e) of a boar!

What’s on the menu this year? I’m skipping the pandi curry, and going with a simple barbecued pork recipe. How simple? Well, with just two main seasonings, not counting the salt, I’d say it doesn’t get much simpler than this.

Adapted from a roast chicken recipe*, I’ve found this to be just perfectly suited for pork. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of nutmeg involved – it’s a marinade that is rinsed off before cooking. The nutmeg lays a fragrant foundation, and the chilli powder brightens things up, for the palate as well as adding a lovely red colour to the finished dish. The pork fat brings it all together in a piquant melting moment.

Using a tender cut of pork, this recipe is ideal for quick cooking on the barbecue or grill**, where it also develops a lovely smokiness from the rendered fat.

Red pork

Bright and spicy

• I kg diced pork with skin and fat (I’ve used pork belly here)
• 1 medium sized nutmeg
• 2-3 tbsp red chilli powder (Use a variety with moderate heat and good colour, like Byadgi)
• Salt to taste
• Chopped fresh coriander
• Lime wedges (optional)

Finely powder the nutmeg  and rub it into the meat. Let it rest for a couple of hours, then rinse off the nutmeg. Pat the meat dry.

Rub the chilli powder and salt into the pork and let it dry out for an hour, uncovered, in the fridge.

Thread the marinated meat onto skewers and cook on the barbecue, grill, or under the broiler.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

Make more than you think you’ll need, because it’s so good, it’s easy to go overboard. 😉

*Surkh Murgh (red chicken) from Niru Gupta’s excellent cookbook “Cooking the U.P. Way” ISBN 8125015582

**If you are cooking on the stove top, use a heavy based pan or grill pan, if you have one.

Happy Kail Podh!