Cerdo en Salsa de Tamarindo
A flavorful Nicaraguan dish featuring tender pork simmered in a tangy and slightly sweet tamarind sauce, often seasoned with aromatic spices.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Pork shoulder(cut into 1.5-inch cubes)
- 200 g Tamarind paste
- 2 medium Onions(chopped)
- 6 cloves Garlic cloves(minced)
- 50 ml Sweet orange juice
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Thyme(dried)
- 2 leaves Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Salt(or to taste)
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper(freshly ground)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches until browned on all sides. Remove pork and set aside.
- 3
Add chopped onions to the pot and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- 4
Stir in the tamarind paste, sweet orange juice, brown sugar, thyme, and bay leaves. Add about 2 cups of water or enough to almost cover the pork.
- 5
Return the seared pork to the pot. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 1.5 hours, or until the pork is tender.
- 6
Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes to thicken.
- 7
Serve hot, ideally with white rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓For a richer flavor, marinate the pork in salt, pepper, and a little orange juice for at least 30 minutes before searing.
- ✓Adjust the amount of sugar and tamarind paste to achieve your desired balance of sweet and sour.
- ✓If you can't find sweet orange juice, regular orange juice with a pinch of sugar can be substituted.
🔄 Variations
- Add a pinch of chili flakes for a touch of heat.
- Incorporate other root vegetables like sweet potatoes or yuca during the last 30 minutes of cooking.