Vinegar šašlõkk

Original recipe in Estonian here 

1kg pork shoulder, cut up into roughly equal-sized chunks (4x4x1.5cm is the recommendation from the original recipe)

112 ml 8% vinegar (or 30 ml 30% vinegar - you should have 9ml of acetic acid, if I calculated correctly. You can do the conversions based on that volume, depending on the concentration of your vinegar)

4-5 large onions, cut into thin rings

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

Add everything into the same bowl. Mix and massage the vinegar into the meat for around 15 minutes, then leave to marinade in fridge overnight. 

Thread meat and onions onto skewers, cook on the braai, and enjoy.

Vindaloo (original style)

Amazingly brilliant. I've not changed anything from this recipe:

75ml cider vinegar
700g pork shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
4 tbsp ghee, neutral or coconut oil
500g onions, finely sliced (about 4 medium onions)
60g tamarind pulp
10 garlic cloves, finely sliced
5cm thick length of ginger, cut into slim matchsticks
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
2-4 small green chillies
10 curry leaves (optional)
1 tbsp jaggery or soft brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black mustard seeds

For the masala
2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
Seeds of 8 cardamom pods
1 tsp black peppercorns
8 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp turmeric
5cm cinnamon stick

Grind masala ingredients, then add in the vinegar. Rub into the pork and leave to marinade for 3 to 4 hours. 

Heat the ghee in a large pot, then fry the onions over a medium-low heat until soft and golden. Meanwhile, soak tamarind pulp in 120ml of hot water for 15 minutes, then gently rub off pulp from seeds, then strain off the liquid and set aside, and discard the solids. 

Add garlic and ginger to the onions and stir in, cook for another 5 minutes, then add tomatoes, chillies and curry leaves and cook until tomatoes start to break down.

Add the pork and marinade, turn up heat to medium-high, mix in jaggery (sugar), salt and mustard seeds, and then add tamarind liquid. Bring to simmer, turn heat down, cover and cook for an hour. 

After an hour, remove the lid and thicken on a low heat for another 30 minutes. Serve with rice, naan or whatever.

Estonian meat pies

This fantastic recipe is courtesy of my mother-in-law. Traditionally eaten at Christmas time, these are lovely and wonderful. The quantities quoted here make about 60–70 pies, depending on the size of your glasses, so you can freeze some and save them for later in the year.

500 g pork belly or other cut, must be somewhat fatty
500 ml–1l chicken stock
Onion to taste, diced
1/2 white rice (optional)
2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and diced
500 ml milk
50 g or so butter
1–2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 kg flour
Yeast (ratio based on the liquid)
Raw egg to coat

Meat filling:
Cook the rice as per directions on the packaging. In a large pot, cook the meat at a low temperature for about 1-2 hours in the stock (depending on the size of the piece of meat and the pot, you may need extra stock). When ready, remove the meat from the pot, but don't throw out the juices. Put the meat and onions in a meat mincer and mince. Season with salt and pepper, and, if the mixture is too dry, add some of the juices from the pot. Mix in the egg and as much of the rice as needed. Leave to cool for a while, or overnight in the fridge.

Pastry:
Gently heat the milk (don't let it boil) and add the butter, salt and sugar. Mix the yeast in with a bit of the flour, then sieve the entire flour/yeast mixture, then the rest of the flour, into the milk mixture, until quite thick. Mix thoroughly, then leave to rise in a warm place for a while with a tea towel over the top. Once risen, knock it back and leave to rise once more.

To make the pies, roll out the pastry, take about 3/4 of a tablespoon's worth of the filling, and place it about 2/3 of a glass's width from the edge of the pastry. Place a row of the filling on the pastry, then fold the edge over and cut out the pies and place on a baking tray. Once you've filled a tray, paint with the egg for colour, then bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes or so. You may want to turn the tray halfway through.

Repeat as necessary. Add in your own ingredients as desired.

Pork chops with red wine, apple and onion sauce, served with mashed potatoes and carrots

Adaptation of something I found from Martha Stewart, plus a little bit extra. Came out wonderfully well - very recommend.

Ingredients:
4-6 potatoes, peeled and chopped up
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped up
1 onion, finely diced
Butter and milk (for mash)
4 pork chops, seasoned and covered with mustard
Oil
A big chunk of butter
2-3 apples (depending on size), cored and sliced thin
2-3 onions, sliced
1 cup red wine (it's very important you use red wine - it gives it a lovely taste)
Mustard to serve

Boil your potatoes and carrots until they are soft enough to mash. Add in diced onion, butter and milk (enough to make it interesting, but not so much that you're eating mashed potato soup). Season to taste and then put to one side.

Pour a bit of oil into a large grill pan or frying pan, and once heated, put the pork chops in and brown for 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and brown on the other for another 5. Remove from the pan and add the apples and onions, cooking until the onions are soft. Add in your wine to deglaze the pan, then return your chops to the pan, cover the chops with some of the onion and apple mix, and cook over a medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Serve over the mash and with some mustard on the side.

Pork, shallot and mushroom casserole

This is an adaptation of a recipe that I found on food24.com. Here's the original, but I've changed a few things. Make sure you add sherry. It really brings out the flavour.

Ingredients:

500-600g pork sirloin
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 big banana shallots, cut into quarters or eighths
2-4 cloves garlic
250-300 g regular button mushrooms
about 100 g chanterelles (kukeseened in Estonian. The original calls for 60 g porcini or shiitake mushrooms, covered with boiling water and left to rehydrate, but it's up to you).
fresh or dried sage (I used about 2 tsp of dried sage)
60-100 ml sherry (or Marsala wine, according to the original)
1 tsp wholegrain mustard (or 1 tbsp)
about 3/4 of a cup of relatively weak chicken stock
lemon juice
250-300 ml cream
salt and pepper to taste

1) Cover the pork with the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and brown on all sides in a sufficiently large pot. Remove and put to one side.
2) Add shallots and garlic, cook until caramelised.
3) Add mushrooms, cook on high heat, and wait for liquid to evaporate (shouldn't take too long). Season well with salt and pepper.
4) Deglaze pot using sherry (or Marsala wine), and reduce by half.
5) Stir through wholegrain mustard.
6) Add stock, lemon juice, and cream.
7) Return pork to pot, cover with sauce and mushrooms. Cook for 20-25 min, turning halfway through. The sauce should reduce slightly and be a bit thicker than cream.
8) Once ready, remove from heat and leave to rest for 5 min.
9) Slice pork into 1 cm-thick slices, then return to sauce and heat through.
10) Serve with salad and mash (as we did) or with tagliatelle.

Jungle Curry

This stuff is all a matter of personal taste - as hot or mild as you want. The first time I had it, I was caught short in the middle of a class the next day. Not the most pleasant experience of my life. The meal was fantastic though. Here's my take on the subject. Not quite as good as the original, but it does the trick.

Should serve 3-4 people, depending on quantities

200g of chicken or pork (original recipe stated that it should be wild meat. If you can get some boar or metsasealiha, then all the better. Otherwise, chicken on the bone works nicely)
Vegetables, primarily brinjals, cherry tomatoes, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms
Coriander, Thai basil, and chillies

Curry paste:

1/2 an onion or equivalent in shallots
1 1/2 inches or so of galangal or ginger (about 3-4 tbsp, fresher is obviously better. If you use dried stuff, soak it then mash it up using a pestle and mortar)
1 tbsp green peppercorns (not blue ones)
2 tbsp lemongrass (fresher is better, and if dried, see above)
a lot of garlic, to taste basically
Lime leaves, again, to taste
Lime zest
Lime juice (just, use lime. Somewhere. Anywhere)
Coriander root
2 1/2 to 3 tbsp fish sauce (although you might want to add this to the pan, not the sauce. Up to you. Try either way)
1/2-1 tsp of shrimp paste
A few chillies, dried or otherwise (to taste)
A 400ml tin of coconut milk

Blend all the stuff for the paste in a food processor. Brown the chicken in a wok, add the vegetables and cook for a bit, then add the paste. Close to the end, add the coriander et al, and serve over rice.

There is obviously more than one way to skin a cat. This recipe is something I've pieced together, and it is quite tasty, although not overly spicy. Try using extra coconut milk or coconut butter if you are so inclined, for something thicker and creamier. Or add extra ginger to the meat, not the sauce (try strips of ginger). Any way you work it, it works out well.

Enjoy.