An excuse to Pig Out

My brother always claimed that there is a certain honk to the pork in India that cannot be explained. Having had pork in several of its forms in the US, Europe and South East Asia, I cannot but disagree. While most would make immediate comparisons on the basis of textural undertones (the pork in India is way more fatty, and it’s a loose gooey fat that some people either hate or love), I claim that there is a residual flavour left behind on the palate that’s interesting to say the least. It’s a sweet, toilety, barnyard funk that is realised a little late, way after it gone down the throat. Some people dig it and some people don’t. You really need some intense flavours to mask the intensity of the meat sometimes, and it doesn’t always work. It doesn’t just stop there. Anyone who’s handled a lot of fresh pork, gotten even from some of the best pork dealers in the city know that it isn’t strange to find a couple of stray strands of hair still stuck to the rind. It’s enough to put the squeamish off pork forever. This is also one of the reasons I don’t trust everyone with my pork. The Goans, of course, have gotten it down pork wise and there isn’t a Goan pork dish that I have not enjoyed. Even the Aad Mas, a stew of pork bones, cartilage and other knick-knacks deserves a dressing-down-to-underwear-and-diving-in-with-all-fours-with-bucket-bath-required-later type of slam. The Coorgis, of course, remain the supreme masters of the lowly Pig this side of the Vindhyas. 

Recently, I had the pleasure of cooking along with a couple of sisters who run a catering service called Pig Out with a focus on authentic, Coorgi food. Anjali, who also happens to be a good friend, and her sister have curated a menu through a painstaking revival of old family recipes and an authentic recreation of some of the more famous and recognisable Coorgi dishes. Besides the usual suspects like Pandi Curry, Akki Roti and Pork Pepper Fry, there were some incredible dishes like the Wild Mango Curry and Pumpkin Coconut Curry that deserve special mention. The Wild Mango Curry was a sweet, spicy, tarty slap on the taste buds that required one to slip away from the crowd every couple of minutes to suck the fuck out of that mango seed while licking curry juice from your elbow. It was a fantastic insight into a cuisine that we honestly know very little about.

Now, at this juncture, I have to admit my experience with Coorgi food has been limited to several post-temptations meals at Wild Spice, a forgettable lunch at Cheers Coorg and a couple of magnificent slams had at several bars in Kushalnagar, Gonikoppa and Virajpet. Of course, there were a couple of meals had at a Farmer’s house mid-way to Tadiandamol that deserve mention but while they were spectacular, they don’t really count. It’s also important to mention that I haven’t been a very big fan of Pandi Curry, at least of the versions I’ve had before. While I do enjoy the sourness, I feel it lacks just a little bit of sweetness that goes so well with pork. This of course, is a personal thing and I know it needs recalibration. The Pandi Curry at Pig Out was by far the best Pandi Curry I’ve ever had but I know I’m wired to not appreciate its complexity so I’ll stop there.

While the Cook Along idea is fantastic, a great way to meet interesting people, learn some great recipes, slant a plate over your face and gastronomically ramble over the gradual decline in the quality of emulsification techniques at Caperberry, I felt that it can sometimes distract from the cooking itself. There was a delicious Coriander Chilli Pepper Chicken that we made that is apparently even better when made by the hands of the cooks at Pig Out. Now that’s a challenge I want to take up. Trust me, the chicken dish was a deceptively spectacular piece of cookery.

Don't be deceived by the aesthetics of the dining table. This was far from a posh-nosh meal. Most folks started with spoons and forks but gave in mid-way into the first Akki Roti. I don’t remember much from the dining table conversations. I lifted my head from the plate a couple of times for refills of Pumpkin Curry and Pepper Chicken, then to pour and re-pour ladles of Pandi Curry over two massive helpings of rice. It would have been all better and in true Coorgi style also, if some Whiskey was lying around to wash it all down.

Passion fruit juice spiked with hidden 60mls of Smirnoff should do for now.

P.S: You can reach the Pig Out folks on their facebook page or via email on pigoutbangalore@gmail.com