Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel aka Sarapatel is one of the most recognisable pork dishes that lends its origin to the Portuguese and is a traditional Goan dish. That being said, this pork stew is a favourite across the Konkan coast of India, in Mangalore, Goa, among the East Indians and now around the globe.

Every family, grandma, cook, and chef in India will have their own way of making Pork Sorpotel. Today, I’ll be sharing my rendition of Pork Sorpotel, tested to perfection!

No celebration in Mangalore or Goa is complete without the appearance of this sorpotel on the table. It is as loved as Mangalorean Christmas Special Pork Indad, or Chicken Indad Curry, or Roast Chicken with Stuffing.

Traditionally, Sorpotel is made with a mixture of pork meat, pork organ meat (offal – heart liver, kidney, tongue etc.,) and pork blood. Unlike many cooks, I refuse to be bound by tradition. I don’t much care for the organ meat or blood and so, I have left them out in my version. This sorpotel tastes incredibly moreish even without the use of offal and does not compromise on taste whatsoever.

My Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel is packed with distinctive flavours from spices like Kashmiri chillies/powder, roasted cumin, coriander, black pepper, black mustard seeds along with aromatics like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and white vinegar, a very common ingredient in Portuguese cuisine.

Those who have been blessed enough to sample a good Pork Sorpotel will testify that it is nothing less than a taste of heaven.

In my family, it is a quietly understood that this pork sorpotel has to be made at least once in 3 months. Oh! how they wished I would cook it every month!!!

Sorpotel is a vinegar and spice-based pork stew that is gifted to the world from sunny Goa, a paradise on the west coast of India, with a mix of Portuguese and Indian cultures. It is a traditional Goan dish.

The origins of Sorpotel along with its chunky cousin Vindaloo (Vindalho), can be traced back to the sixteenth century Goa, where the Portuguese established a colony and ruled for 450 years from 1510 to 1961.

Flecked with ginger, garlic, green chillies, a generous combination of spices sharpened with a good whack of vinegar, Pork Sorpotel is an Indian fantasy reflected through a Portuguese kaleidoscope. It is now a staple in Roman Catholic cuisine of the west coast of India and around the globe.

Pork Sorpotel is deliciously spicy with Kashmiri chillies, earthy with roasted spices and tangy with vinegar, where all these ingredients are given time to do their job and together, they make that distinctive spicy, earthy, tangy and delectable taste.

Pork Sorpotel is delicious served with hot steamed white rice or red parboiled rice. If you are planning to serve Pork Sorpotel at a dinner party, it pairs perfectly with Mangalore Sannas (spongy steamed rice cakes), or Mutlin/Mutlim/Pundi, or panpolay/neer dosa (Mangalorean lacy rice pancakes) or appams.

What cut of pork should I use?

The key ingredient for making a good Pork Sorpotel is a cut of pork with a good amount of fat. My first choice is boneless pork belly. (see Section below – Tips for Making Pork Sorpotel for more pork cut ideas).

Is it necessary to parboil pork?

Parboiling pork makes it easier to chop into pieces.

Why should I chop the pork?

Chopping ensures greater infusion of vinegar, spices and herbs into pork. Also, sautéing works best when pork is chopped into even pieces.

Why sautéing pork pieces is so important?

Sauteing browns the pieces slightly, renders fat and makes the dish flavoursome, while softening the texture of pork pieces. Tip: Use a non-stick heavy- bottomed skillet or shallow frying pan, as it conducts heat evenly and prevents hot spots.

How to get rid of the gamey smell of pork?

Sometimes you may find that there is a gamey smell in your pork and are put off by this gamey smell when the pork is cooking. Most of the gamey flavours reside in the fat and some of this gamey flavour is released during sautéing pork pieces. To get rid of some of the smell, I keep the lid open for 5 minutes once the pork pieces are added to the pan. I also find that fresh garlic, spices and vinegar help to neutralize some of the gamey smell once the meat is cooked. I have also heard that some people wash the pork in vinegar and pat dry it before they cook to get rid of some of the gamey smell, although I have not tried this technique.

What’s the best vinegar for cooking Pork Sorpotel?

I have used white vinegar for its sharp taste, and it is easy to source. You may use white wine vinegar for mellow and more rounded acidity.

This recipe starts off by preparing the spice powder, ingredients of which are all basic Indian pantry staple spices that add a unique flavour profile to the final dish – cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns. Dry roast these whole spices briefly (for a minute or two) individually to bring out all their aroma.

It is important to dry roast the spices individually as each spice takes different time to roast.

Cool the roasted spices completely and blend in a blender or similar appliance to a smooth powder. The house blend spice powder is ready, and all the spice powder is used in this recipe. You will not have any leftovers.

Here’s what goes into making the Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel spice powder:

• The spice Powder – The whole spices in this Pork Sorpotel are cumin seeds, Black mustard seeds, coriander seeds and black pepper corns.

• • Cumin seeds – Added as a part of the spice blend as it harmonises well with mustard seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns. Dry roast briefly as called for in the recipe, to bring out the best aromas.

• • Black mustard seeds – a key ingredient in this recipe and are added for their savoury, pungent and spicy taste. Do not skip this spice as the taste of the final dish varies if you omit this spice.

• • Coriander seeds – Dry roasted and added for a depth of flavour. Often cumin and coriander are paired for their unique flavours in most Indian meat curries.

• • Black pepper corns – Dry roasted and added for another layer of spiciness to balance the mild heat of the Kashmiri chilli powder.

Although the spice powder made above adds a good amount of flavour to the Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel, other additional herbs and spices are essential to round up the flavours and make this pork into a complete dish.

Make sure you have all these ready to go before you start cooking!

• Pork – Typically Pork Sorpotel is made with a boneless cut that has a good amount of fat/marbling and some parts of offal such as pork heart and liver cut up into 1cm pieces or smaller (It’s a pain but trust me the flavours are superb if the meat is cut into small pieces). Please note there is no offal used in this recipe.

• • Cuts of pork that work best for me are: –

• • Boneless pork belly – A good amount of marbling in the pork makes sorpotel succulent and rich. Find at: All large supermarkets or butchers.
  • Combo of pork belly and pork leg (Use 50% belly and 50% leg meat) – a good balance of fat from the belly and meat from the leg, if you want to reduce the fat content. Important: Supermarkets sell legs as large roasting legs. You may want to buy a smaller portion at your local butcher.
  • Combo of pork shoulder and belly (40% shoulder and 60% belly) – Pork shoulder is flavourful but has less marbling. For a good balance of flavour and marbling, I have sometimes used pork shoulder (for flavour) and pork belly (for its marbling); or
    
• • Combo of pork belly and pork neck (50% belly and 50% neck) – Again, you may want to check with your local butcher for a small portion of neck.

• Cardamoms, cinnamon sticks and cloves – Added for depth and flavour. Leave them whole while cooking. You may pick and discard them once the curry is cooked. I usually leave them and set them aside on the plate while eating.

• Onions – Create a flavourful base. Chop finely and sauté until lightly golden. Do not burn them as they will impart a bitter taste to the final dish.

• Fresh garlic – A key ingredient that enhances the umami flavour and neutralizes the gamey/porky flavour. The pork belly is a fatty cut, and sautéing renders a certain amount of fat and with that a funky flavour. Add garlic as called for in the recipe. Slice or finely mince to extract all the flavour of garlic. Fresh is always best but use 2-3 tbsp. garlic paste, if using store bought garlic paste.

• Ginger and Green chillies – A must in this Sorpotel, for flavour and a good chilli kick. The recipe calls for 5 green chillies, but feel free to decrease or increase, as per taste! Tip: Remove seeds of some or all chillies, if desired.

• Kashmiri chilli powder – Standard ground spice that you likely already have on hand. Adds a mild spiciness and depth of colour. Increase or decrease as per taste.

• Turmeric Powder – Used extensively in Indian curries, for its distinct earthy undertones and colour. Add only what is called for in the recipe, as too much will give the curry a slightly bitter aftertaste.

• Tamarind pulp – Creates a harmonious balance of tanginess with its sweet and sour taste, in contrast to the sharp taste of white vinegar. Adding tamarind is a matter of choice but adding it accentuates the thickness of the gravy. Use only the pulp as called for in the recipe. Discard the seeds and fibre.

• Indian bay leaves – Different from Mediterranean bay leaves, Indian bay leaves have a distinct flavour and have 3 spines per leaf. Unfortunately, Indian bay leaves bought from Indian supermarkets in Sydney have little or no flavour. As there is no choice, I add them anyway, as this dish looks incomplete without the use of Indian bay leaves. The flavour – no! there is no flavour as such!!

• Vinegar – I like the sharpness of white vinegar, and I have used white vinegar for this recipe. Milder alternative: equal amount of white wine vinegar (for delicate and mild acidity).