It could be said that I have never looked forward to a cookbook launch more than I have “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.”
No, it isn’t the fact that it’s the very first book I’ve ever blurbed. (“A charming tale of moving to Paris for love—and staying for food. Ellise Pierce’s delicious accounts of weaving together Texas and French cuisines will leave you hungry. But what truly satisfies are the lovely stories that bind them all together.” — Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, author of A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family)
Or the fact that I’m mentioned in it. (Hello, page 189!)
Rather, it’s that in the close to three years in which I’ve been cooking along with Ellise over at Cowgirl Chef in our monthly Let’s Lunch Twitter lunchdate, I’ve been thinking: Why isn’t this woman writing a cookbook?
I’ve salivated over her black pepper strawberry scones, sundried tomato pesto palmiers and far more, thinking all of these need to be compiled in a book somewhere. Well, that time has come — Ellise’s cookbook hits bookstores May 15 and I couldn’t be happier for her.
To celebrate the occasion, the Let’s Lunchers decided on a virtual toast. In honor of Ellise’s blending of Texas and French cuisines, we’re each offering up a dish that melds two cultures. (Extra points if one of the two cuisines has roots in Texas or France.)
And so I’m thrilled to present: Goan pork curry tacos …
Now, I’m fairly new to making tacos at home, having been turned onto them recently by Joe Yonan, a fellow Let’s Luncher, whose lovely cookbook “Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking For One” has a recipe for great breakfast tacos.
Since then, I’ve pretty much decided that tortillas lend themselves well to just about everything. So why not a hearty curry?
I immediately thought of a Goan pork curry a Singaporean friend taught me, a recipe handed down by his Indian immigrant grandmother. It’s vinegary, spicy and gingery all at once — a complex combination of flavors that’s unforgettable.
This curry is terrific with plain white rice and, it turned out, delicious on tacos as well, topped with cilantro and a dab of cucumber raita to cool you down.
So, enjoy y’all. And to Ellise — cheers, happy book launch and merci beaucoup for being such a wonderful cooking partner!
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Don’t forget to check out the Let’s Lunchers’ cross-cultural dishes below! And if you’d like to join Let’s Lunch, go to Twitter and post a message with the hashtag #Letslunch — or, post a comment below.
Anastasia‘s Miso Salmon with Mango Salsa at In Foodie Fashion
Cathy‘s Bacon-Studded Polenta With Tomato Gravy at ShowFood Chef
Charissa‘s Gluten-Free Azuki Bean Bundt Cake at Zest Bakery
Eleanor‘s Wok Picadillo at Wok Star
Ellise‘s Salty Lime Sablés (Margarita Cookies) at Cowgirl Chef
Emma‘s Kimchi Bulgogi Nachos at Dreaming of Pots And Pans
Felicia‘s Mexican-Lebanese Hummus at Burnt-Out Baker
Grace‘s Taiwanese Fried Chicken at HapaMama
Jill‘s Southern Pimento-Stuffed Knishes at Eating My Words
Joe‘s Grilled KimCheese Sandwich at Joe Yonan
Juliana‘s Fusion Chicken Casserole at Food, Fun & Life
Karen‘s Ukrainian-German Cabbage Rolls at GeoFooding
Leigh‘s Venezuelan-Italian Cachapas Con Queso at Leigh Nannini
Linda‘s Project Runway Pelau: Rice & Beans Trinidad-Style at Spicebox Travels
Linda‘s Edible Salad Totes at Free Range Cookies
Lisa‘s Sunday Night Jewish-Chinese Brisket at Monday Morning Cooking Club
Lucy‘s Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango at A Cook And Her Books
Maria‘s Spanish Shrimp with Bacon, Cheddar & Chive Grits at Maria’s Good Things
Nancie‘s Chili-Cheese Biscuits with Avocado Butter at Nancie McDermott
Patricia‘s Buttery Tofu, Pasta & Peas at The Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook
Patrick‘s Kimchi Jigae and British Mash at Patrick G. Lee
Rashda‘s Mango Cobbler at Hot Curries & Cold Beer
Renee‘s Asian-Spiced Quick Pickles at My Kitchen And I
Steff‘s Chicken Fried Steak at The Kitchen Trials
Vivian‘s Funky Fusion Linguini at Vivian Pei
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Cheryl’s Goan Pork Curry Tacos
1 lb lean pork, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk curry leaf
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1- to 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
12 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds, pounded
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 Bombay onions (or small red onions), peeled and finely chopped
2 cups water (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 to 2 tablespoons black or white pepper (Note: If you’re going to make a more gravy-heavy version — i.e. with the two cups of water — use white pepper so the gravy will be of a lighter color.)
Cilantro for garnish; Tortillas for serving.
Combine pork, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, pounded mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Mix well so each pork piece is well-coated with the marinade. Set aside 1/4 cup of chopped onions then stir the rest of the onions in with the pork. Let this mixture marinate for at least two hours.
Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat, until oil is glistening. Add 1 TB mustard seeds and stir-fry until they become fragrant and start to really pop. Add 1/4 cup reserved chopped onions and curry leaf and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add pork mixture to the wok and stir-fry well. Once pork is mostly cooked, add two cups of water, if you want gravy. Let the mixture simmer until pork is cooked through.
Heat up tortillas. Place a few tablespoons of pork curry onto each heated tortilla, top with cucumber raita (recipe below) and cilantro garnish and serve.
Cucumber Raita Recipe
(via Epicurious, with a few tweaks)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped, seeded cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, season with salt. Chill until ready to serve.