Indian · Goa · main

Sorpotel (Pork and Liver Cured in Coconut Vinegar)

Sorpotel (Pork and Liver Cured in Coconut Vinegar) reads richness 6.9, umami 6.2 and allium 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Goa main, about 49 hr 49 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.9 · Umami 6.2 · Allium 4.1 · Salinity 3.9 · Warm Spice 3.9 · Sweetness 2.9 · Heat 2.9 · Floral 2.4 · Nutty 2.0 · Earthy 1.9 · Sourness 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Bitterness 1.6 · Citrus 0.9 · Funk & Ferment 0.8 · Fruity 0.5

What's in it (18)

• pork shoulder roast — 600 g
• pork liver — 200 g
• pork fat — 150 g
• water — 1000 g
• salt — 10 g
• dried kashmiri red chillies — 75 g
• cumin seeds — 5 g
• cloves — 24 g
• cinnamon — 2 g
• black peppercorns — 800 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• coconut toddy vinegar — 150 g
• garlic — 36 g
• fresh ginger — 5 g
• coconut oil — 41 g
• onions — 300 g
• green chilies — 600 g
• brown sugar — 4 g

Time & effort: about 49 hr 49 min (1 hr 49 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 136.2 kcal, 5.3 g protein, 7.8 g fat, 15.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Boil the pork shoulder and the liver in the water with the salt for 20 minutes, until firm but not fully cooked. Keep the broth. Cool the meat, then cut it and the liver into 1 cm dice, which is the size sorpotel is always cut to.
2. Grind the dried chillies, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, turmeric, garlic and ginger with the coconut vinegar to a smooth paste. Grind in vinegar and never in water; the vinegar is the preservative that lets sorpotel sit and improve, and Goan coconut toddy vinegar is softer and more fragrant than any distilled substitute.
3. Render the diced pork fat in a heavy pan over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the cubes are crisp and swimming in their own clear fat.
4. Add the coconut oil, turn the heat up and fry the diced pork and liver in batches for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned at the edges.
5. Add the onions and green chillies and cook 8 minutes until soft and golden.
6. Stir in the ground vinegar masala and fry 5 minutes, until the paste darkens and the fat rises red and clear.
7. Pour in 300 ml of the reserved broth, add the jaggery, and simmer very gently for 30 to 40 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is thick, dark and glossy and clings to the meat.
8. Cool completely, then keep it covered in a cool place for 2 to 3 days, stirring once a day and adding a splash of vinegar if it looks dry, before reheating and serving with sannas. Sorpotel eaten on the day it is made is only half a dish.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Spiced Lamb Meatballs in Curry Sauce — Indian
• Lamb Rogan Josh — Indian
• Beef and Potato Curry — Indian
• Skillet Chicken Curry with Peppers — Indian
• Kig ha Farz — French · Brittany

Keep reading: what richness, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.