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Trini geera pork
Geera pork: pork cooked down with roasted cumin and green seasoning
At a Trinidad lime, the bowl of geera pork on the table is usually empty long before the drinks run out. This is pork shoulder cut into small cubes, marinated in green seasoning and garlic, then cooked down in its own fat with a generous amount of dark-roasted ground cumin (geera) until the pieces are coated in a dry, aromatic, peppery glaze. Eat it hot with toothpicks or with sada roti. The usual mistake is using raw ground cumin, which tastes dusty; roast the seeds yourself until nearly black-brown. Chef's tip: let the liquid cook away completely at the end and fry the pork for a few more minutes, as that sticky, slightly crisp coating is the whole point.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb pork shoulderboneless, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp green seasoningblended chadon beni, chives, thyme, garlic and peppers
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 scotch bonnetfinely chopped, seeds in for more heat
- 1 cup water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 2 ¼ lb pork shoulder with 4 tbsp green seasoning, 3 cloves garlic and 1 ½ tsp salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 2: Toast 3 tbsp cumin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking, until it turns dark brown and smells deeply roasted, almost smoky. Cool and grind to a powder.
5 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Add 1 onion, the rest of 3 cloves garlic and 1 scotch bonnet and fry for 2 minutes until soft.
2 minStep 4: Add the pork and stir-fry for 8 minutes, until the pieces lose their pink colour and start to brown.
8 minStep 5: Stir in two-thirds of the ground geera, add 1 cup water, cover and simmer over a low heat for 35–40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pork is tender when pierced.
40 minStep 6: Uncover, add the rest of the ground geera and turn up the heat. Cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the liquid has gone and the pork is fried, dark and sticky. The pork should reach at least 160°F in the thickest piece (it will be well past this after braising). Serve hot.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does trini geera pork take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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