Tandoori Pork Shank

To prepare the tandoori pork shank, we will use the cooking style and seasonings typical of Indian cuisine, but with a cut of meat highly appreciated in Europe. Here are the necessary ingredients and the procedure to create this fusion dish:

Ingredients

• 2 pork shanks
• 1 jar of plain yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 piece of fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons of garam masala
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne (optional, for a spicy kick)
• The juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil

Preparation

1. Clean and dry the pork shanks. Make shallow incisions on the meat to allow the seasonings to penetrate better.
2. Prepare the marinade by mixing the yogurt with the grated garlic and ginger, garam masala, paprika, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne if you want a spicier result. Add the lemon juice and adjust the salt.
3. Massage the shanks with the marinade, working it well into the incisions. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Place the shanks in a baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Cook in the oven for about 2 and a half hours, or until the meat is tender and easily comes off the bone. During the last half hour of cooking, remove the aluminum foil to allow the surface of the meat to brown and crisp.
6. Once cooked, let the shanks rest for a few minutes before serving.

For a more local touch, you could accompany the shanks with a side of oven-roasted potatoes flavored with rosemary and garlic, or if you prefer to stay on the Indian side, basmati rice and naan would be the perfect pairing.

Trivia

The “tandoori” spice mix takes its name from the tandoor, the clay oven typical of Indian cuisine, which gives dishes that unmistakable flavor and crispiness. Obviously, not having a tandoor available, we opted for the traditional oven to cook the pork shanks.