Chilli and Garlic Pork Salad recipe

This healthy food recipe combines the tart taste of tamarind, the hotness of chilli with a hint of garlic and combines it with the coolness of a refreshing salad. 

Great combination. One contrasts the other in a complimentary and pleasing way to the palate.

You can made the chilli and garlic pork as hot or strong as you want. Chilli and garlic pork salad can be served both hot and cold, as a starter or main course.  Vary the quantity of ingredients to suit. I personally like a lot of salad, but it’s up to you!

This is a simple meal to make that takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Marinading the meat does take time and the longer you can leave it to stand the better.

The ingredients you need for Chilli and Garlic Pork Salad.

Ingredients for the chilli and Garlic Pork Salad (Single main meal serving)

Leave out anything you don’t like. Red and yellow capsicums make a good addition for their crispness and they add colour. The green chilli enhances the salad further. Remember to take the seeds out of the chilli though!

1/4 of a crisp lettuce
2 Tomatoes
3  Pickled Gherkins
1 mild onion
1/2 of a cucumber
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil.
1 tablespoon of chopped chives
Sea salt and pepper

Ingredients for the chili and garlic pork (Single main meal serving)

2 tablespoons of tamarind
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander
1 tablespoon of minced garlic paste (Vary to taste)
1/3 cup of hot water
1 tablespoon of Diablo Chilli (Vary to taste, you may want to try less!)
Pinch of black pepper
Pork fillet

Method for chilli and garlic pork salad

Preparing the pork and marinade

1-  Take the tamarind and put it into a 1/3 cup of hot water and allow to stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
2-  Knead the tamarind until the fibres are separated and strain keeping the tamarind water.
3-  Slice the port into fine strips.
4-  Dust with a pinch of black pepper and put into the tamarind water.
5-  Leave for two hour. The tamarind water should just cover the pork.
6-  Mix the coriander, garlic paste and Diablo chilli with the pork and leave to marinade for 2 to 3 hours (This is really up to you. The longer its left the better. I often leave it over night.)

Preparing the salad

Prepare the salad within an hour of the expected eating time.

1-  Finely slice the cucumber
2-  Cut the lettuce into strips
3-  Slice the tomatoes
4-  Slice the onion
5-  Slice the gherkins along their length
6-  Mix in a bowl
7-  Mix 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil in a cup and stir in the chives. (You can make more dressing if you prefer a moister salad. Remember to add more chives)
8-  Pour onto the prepared salad
9- Toss the salad well making sure its all coated.

Cooking the pork

Use a non-stick frying pan.
1-  Empty the marinade and meat into a hot frying pan.
2- Stir until the tamarind water has evaporated
3- Turn up the heat
4- Then stir and dry fry until meat is cooked.
(About 3 minutes)

Finishing it off (No, not eating it! Not yet anyway…)

The last thing is to add the Chili and Garlic Pork to the salad. If I’m serving this cold as a starter or a salad for a main course, I usually mix the pork in with the salad.

To keep the pork hot for longer, I’d suggest that you put the pork on the top of the salad or in a bowl for you guests to help themselves.

I hope you enjoy the chilli and garlic pork salad. It’s one of my favourites!

Chris Nizzi

Other chilli related articles on the limepickle.com website.
Chilli and Garlic marinade
Sweet Chilli Sauce recipe

Chilli is versatile and can be both mild or extremely hot. Just remember to take the seeds out of a chilli before using.