Shan State Pork Curry Recipe

Here’s a pretty easy to make recipe for a Burmese Shan style pork curry, so the next time you’re thinking Asian for dinner but wanting to try something just a little bit different – go for Shan food.

Shan food, to me, is great winter eats. It’s rich and hearty and meaty – a sort of a meat and potatoes version of South East Asian cuisine that just seems to fit better on cold and snowy days than the tropical tastes of neighboring Thai food.

Serve this with steamed rice.

Shan State Pork Curry

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of pork shoulder meat, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 medium cooking onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsps of salt
• 2 tsps of MSG (My cooks, all Shan, wouldn’t consider omitting the MSG in this, or really, in much of anything, but if MSG makes you uncomfortable, leave it out. If you do, try adding a couple more tomatoes to the mix and taste carefully at the end, as you may need to add more salt to compensate for that loss of a glutamate kick.
• 2 Tbls of vegetable oil
• ½ cup of water
• 3 Tbls of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1. Combine all ingredients but the ginger in a pot with a tight fitting lid and transfer the pot to a stovetop element set to medium.
2. Bring the contents of the pot to a simmer, and let bubble away, covered, for about half an hour, or until the pork is cooked through. Keep watch as the pork cooks, as you may need to add a little more water as it goes if things are getting too dry, to prevent burning.
3. After half an hour, turn off the heat and toss in the minced fresh ginger.
4. Taste for salt and add more salt if necessary. This shouldn’t be too salty, but if it is, you can add a little more water to dilute things until you get what you’re looking for.
5. Serve with steamed rice