ADD SOME SPICE TO YOUR SPECIAL PORK RIB CURRY

Curry is one of the most popular home-style dishes in Japan. Chef Yasuyuki Takara, who specializes in French cuisine, shared his recipe for spicy pork rib curry, prepared with seven different spices to really bring out the fragrant flavors.

Curry is not widely eaten in France, Takara said. However, it is easy for Takara to make various curry dishes as he began making curry when he was a high school student working part-time at a coffee shop. He also used to make curry in the kitchen for restaurant employees when he trained as a cook using “whatever was in the fridge.”

Takara has come up with an elegant curry sauce using the French cooking technique of mixing spices with water. Other than spices and seasonings, Takara uses nothing but pork ribs for the curry.

“Pork ribs are rich in fat, which brings out the flavors when it’s heated,” he said.

Four kinds of powdered spices are dissolved in water: turmeric, which brightens the color of the dish; fragrant cumin; coriander; and cayenne pepper. The amount of cayenne pepper, which adds a pungent kick, can be adjusted according to preference.

“Dissolving the spices in water brings out their flavor and makes them easier to blend,” he said.

To enrich the aroma, crush a cinnamon stick and whole cardamoms and cloves with a meat mallet before placing them in room-temperature oil. Cook them over low heat to help their fragrance seep into the oil, tilting the pan to swirl the spices.

“This process is called tempering in cooking,” Takara said. “Be careful not to burn them.”

Add garlic, ginger and onion, and cook until browned before adding the cooked meat, tomato puree and yogurt. Then add the dissolved spices and simmer. Add fresh cream.

The sauce is thick like a regular curry and is full of flavor thanks to the combination of the onion’s sweetness, the tomato’s flavor and the yogurt’s sourness. The meat is tender, too.

Yomiuri Shimbun photos Spicy pork rib curry