Ingredients
Pork
- 1 kgpork shoulder, in 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbspgreen seasoning
- 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 1 tspsalt
- juice of 1 lime
Spice
- 3 tbspcumin seeds
To cook
- 2 tbspoil
- 1onion, chopped
- 1scotch bonnet, minced
- 250 mlwater
To serve
- rum
- toothpicks
Directions
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until they darken and smell strongly nutty, then grind them.
- Toast and grind them yourself. Geera is the Hindi-derived word for cumin and the dish is named for it, so pre-ground powder makes it taste of nothing in particular.
- Season the pork with the green seasoning, garlic, half the ground geera, pepper, salt and lime, and leave it for an hour.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot and brown the pork hard in batches so it colours rather than steams.
- Return it all with the onion, minced chilli and water, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes until tender.
- Now take the lid off and cook it dry.
- Keep going over a medium heat, stirring, for another 15 to 20 minutes, until every drop of liquid has gone and the pork is coated and beginning to fry in its own fat.
- Dry is the whole point. Geera pork is a cutter, eaten in pieces with a drink, and any sauce at all turns it into a different dish.
- Stir in the remaining ground geera off the heat, so that it stays sharp.
- Adding half the cumin at the end is what gives the fresh hit, while the half cooked in from the start gives the depth.
- Serve hot in a bowl with toothpicks and rum, which is how it is eaten in a Trinidadian rum shop.
Technique
- A cutter is anything eaten with drinks to cut the alcohol, and this is among the best known of them.
- Green seasoning is the Trinidadian herb blend of chadon beni, thyme, garlic and onion.
- It reheats well in a dry pan and is if anything better the next day.
Substitutions
- Chicken or duck, both of which are given the same treatment.
- Coriander plus extra garlic if you cannot find chadon beni.
Variations
- Geera chicken, which is equally common.
- With more scotch bonnet, as it is usually served.
- Wrapped in a roti as a fuller meal.
History
A Trinidadian rum-shop cutter, geera being the Hindi-derived word for cumin.
Frequently asked questions
What is Geera pork?
Geera pork is a snack from Trinidad and Tobago: pork cubes cooked dry with roasted cumin and hot pepper, eaten with drinks. A Trinidadian rum-shop cutter, geera being the Hindi-derived word for cumin.
How long does Geera pork take to make?
Geera pork takes 20 min plus 1 hr marinating of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Geera pork?
Yes, within limits. Chicken or duck, both of which are given the same treatment. Coriander plus extra garlic if you cannot find chadon beni.
What is the most important thing to get right in Geera pork?
Heat the oil in a heavy pot and brown the pork hard in batches so it colours rather than steams.
