Hot Dishes for Cool Days

As the weather cools, we seem to get energized. We involve ourselves in new activities. One way we save our personal time for these is to cook once to eat twice.

Cooking ahead by making enough of the main dish for at least two meals saves time in the long run. If your household contains more than two people, you might want to double the recipe though some singles make a recipe for four and either freeze part of it or eat the same thing for several days running.

This week I’ve made two meat curries. The first featured lean pork cut in bite size pieces, sliced carrots, and onions. For stocks, I used the last of my refrigerated bone broth whose recipe I gave you in the LOOP issue of July 31st. I had simmered my broth down to what the French call a “glace’, pronounced “glahss”. The garlic and the fat in it acted as preservative and lid. Stashed near the back of my refrigerator it could remain extra cold for quite a long time, but I reboiled it every four days to prevent build up of toxic aldehydes.

Because many people don’t eat pork, the second curry featured beef, also cut in bite size pieces, and contained a wider variety of vegetables. Bison would also work there, and sometimes costs little more than beef but is leaner and more likely to be altogether grass-fed.

          Pork Curry
       3 to 4 servings

10 ounces lean pork cut in bite size pieces
¼ cup olive oil.
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
2 long carrots, sliced
½ inch ginger root, minced
1 large or 2 not so large garlic cloves, minced
Boiling water, stock, or bone broth*
1 small bay leaf, broken in bits
4 teaspoons curry powder

Dredge the meat in flour, or a half and half mixture of flour and cornstarch.
In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil. Brown the meat pieces on all sides. Push to one side of the pan.   Stir-fry the carrots and onion 5 minutes, adding  more oil as needed. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry 1 or 2 minutes.  Mix the meat into the vegetables. Add water to cover. Bring to a lively simmer, almost a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover Pan. Cook 1 hour.
Add and stir in:
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
More water to replace what will have simmered away.
Stick a fork into a piece of meat. If it’s tender proceed to the final steps:
Combine in a teacup or small bowl:
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 Dashes cayenne or Hungarian hot paprika
When well combined, add:
¼ cup water

Stir to a smooth liquid the consistency of heavy cream. Stir this into the meat and vegetables in the skillet. Keep stirring as the broth thickens. Serve over hot cooked brown rice. Add a salad and there’s your meal.
Beef Curry: Substitute beef for the pork in the recipe above. When the meat and carrots are tender, add ½ cup green beans cut in 1 ½-inch lengths. Continue cooking until the beans are tender but still bright green. Taste and adjust seasonings. This dish is beautiful as well as delicious.