Chimp Off The Old Block

Yeah, I realize now that it looks a bit like a cross-eyed chimpanzee. So if you can avoid thinking about it too philosophically—ie, that you’re eating a chimp face—you might enjoy it. But then you’re eating the shoulder of a pig…what are YOU complaining about? Plus, it’s also cross-eyed; so it can’t exactly look deeply into your eyes and promise you eternity.

J

Here it is –pork shoulder steak, roasted onion-and-carrot gravy with garlic, cream and pepper, roasted potatoes with rosemary and paprika and almost-boiled, goggle-eyed eggs.

Other than a carnivore’s cruel heart, you will need:

Pork shoulder steak – 3 small, thin pieces (there’s this great Korean place in South Point Mall, DLF 5, Gurgaon – they sell all kinds of cuts, or of course you have your INA market if you’re not too lazy)

One oversized onion, cut into chunky rings

Carrots –thick roundels – umm take 2 large ones

Garlic –whole, bruised a bit like Daniel Craig in Skyfall (now now, focus please; we’re still making food here)

Green chilli– as many as you like – slit up the middle

Pepper –salt, a dash of sugar

Rosemary

Milk –no-fat, low-fat, full-fat – whatever you like, oh about a cup

Garam masala– a pinch

Potatoes –two large, cut into big chunks

Score the pork and marinate it in salt, pepper and olive oil, dump it in the fridge overnight.

Spray some olive oil on a biggish baking tray, add a sprig of rosemary, line the entire dish with the chunky onion rings, wrap the bruised whole garlic in foil with olive oil and dunk it in the middle of the dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Now place the marinated steak on the bed of onions and surround the meat pieces with carrots. No, don’t add a picket fence.

Douse it with olive oil, salt and pepper, cover the dish with aluminium foil (pierce it here and there with your fork).

Preheat the oven at 200 degree C, then turn the temp down to a 150 and bake it for about an hour. Then for another 15mins with the foil off. The carrots should be nicely done, the onion caramelized, the meat done to your liking.

Wrap the meat in aluminium foil and set aside.

Now take the rest of it and place in a deep saucepan, squeeze out the now-soft garlic, add water/milk and cook on very low heat until all soft and fragrant, add the garam masala and it’s done. Now blitz into a thick gravy.

Roast the potatoes with olive oil, paprika and rosemary – first covered till almost done and then uncovered to get a nice crispy skin.

I use Simon Hopkinson’s egg-making magic to boil the eggs (to add excerpt from the book).

Now you have all the bits ready. Try not to plate it up so it looks like a confused chimp with a focal length problem.