Pork Curry is a cross-cultural blend of Asian and Cajun flavors.

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Next coconut stock is combined with the aromatic flavors of curry and a sweet tang of pineapple in this bowl of Cajun neck bones to build a curried pork stew that elevates flavor to international levels.

Tender chunks of pork swimming in a fragrant curry gravy, this multi-cultural pork curry has bold flavour. (All photos: George Graham)

Tender chunks of pork swimming in a fragrant curry gravy, this multi-cultural pork curry has bold flavour. (All photos: George Graham)

Listen up: I’m a sucker for Asian spices. I’ve never been to Asia, but with my culinary excursions to exotic markets and restaurants, I’ve developed a passion for many of the dishes that characterize the Pacific Rim. Vietnamese bowls, Chinese hot pot, ramen from Japan, and Korean barbecue are favorites that inevitably end up on my Acadiana table. And this pork curry is at the top of my list of delicious. This is one of those cross dishes that turns me on. It uses many ingredients native to Acadiana but adds a dramatic touch of Asian herbs and spices. Thai cuisine tempts me, and the curries I love are at the heart of this recipe.

The pork curry uses both Cajun and Asian ingredients.

Asian spices blend with essential Cajun aromatics for a flavorful combination in this curried pork recipe.

The Cajun trinity of aromatic greens, along with stalwart South Louisiana ingredients like pork neck bones, are the basis for the exotic ingredient infusion. Cinnamon sticks, star anise, lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric with a pungent blast of curry powder give me the spicy Asian rocket fuel I need to take my taste buds into the stratosphere. With a base of pork broth married with the richness of coconut milk, this soup comes together brilliantly.

My favorite: the super white jasmine rice. Try it.

The key to this dish is to garnish fresh basil leaves and herbaceous cilantro stalks with crunchy peanuts and a squeeze of lime. With fragrant Louisiana Jasmine rice from Supreme Rice in Crawley, Louisiana, this dish is a perfect expression of two cultures coming together in one delicious bowl.

Pork curry cooked in black iron pot.

Long simmered in a black pot brings two cultures together in a delicious blend of pork curry.

Pork curry

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total time

Recipe by:

Serve: 4

ingredients

  • 4 pounds of pork neck bones
  • A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
  • Anise 4 stars
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 cans of coconut milk
  • 1 cup red onion, cut into cubes
  • A cup of celery cut into cubes
  • A cup of green pepper, cut into cubes
  • Half a cup of shredded carrots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • A cup of chopped coriander
  • 1 cup diced green onions, divided
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed lemon
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup of diced pineapple
  • 1 large ear of yellow corn, cut into round pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cups of white jasmine rice cooked like supreme
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • 2 cups fresh coriander for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno
  • 4 tablespoons of peeled peanuts
  • 4 fresh lemon wedges

directions

  1. In a large cast-iron saucepan with a heavy lid, add the pork neck bones with the ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover the pork chops and place over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue cooking until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Strain the pork broth from the pot and reserve. Throw away the ginger, anise, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves.
  2. In the same saucepan containing the pork over medium heat, add 4 cups of the stock along with the coconut milk. Add red onion, celery, bell pepper, carrots, garlic, cilantro, 1/2 cup scallions, and lime juice. Add curry powder, lemongrass, turmeric, ground ginger, pineapple chunks, and corn chunks. Bring to a boil and reduce heat until simmering. Cover and simmer until the soup begins to thicken, about 1 hour.
  3. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning by adding more curry powder if needed along with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes, so that the flavors blend.
  4. To serve, add a mound of rice in the bottom of a large, deep bowl. Wash the soup down with pieces of pork neck bone and garnish with basil leaves, cilantro sprigs, jalapeños, peanuts, and lime wedges. Invite your guests to squeeze the lime and the corn and bone-in bits of meat should be eaten with the hands.
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notes

This soup is meant to have the consistency of crackers, but if it gets too thick, add a little of the reserved pork stock. I love inexpensive but very succulent pork neck bones (look for those with a lot of meat) for this purpose, but this dish would work equally well with country-style pork ribs, beef short ribs, or even oxtail. I always keep ground lemongrass (I find it in Asian markets) on hand but feel free to use freshly squeezed lemon cubes. The charm of this soup is its delicate flavor and aroma, but if you like it spicy, then serve the hot sauce to the table.

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Pork curry is a delicious (and beautiful) dish.

Pork curry is a delicious (and beautiful) dish.

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