Pone Yay Gyi Curry (ပုန်းရည်ကြီးဟင်း) — Burmese Pork and Fermented Bean Paste

• 600 gboneless pork shoulder (Trim thick exterior fat and cut into 2.5 cm cubes.)
• 100 gpone yay gyi bean paste (Use plain Burmese horse-gram paste, sometimes labeled pon ye gyi; choose moist paste rather than a ready-seasoned salad.)
• 1large onion (Approximately 180 g peeled; finely chop.)
• 5 clovegarlic (Approximately 15 g peeled.)
• 1 inchfresh ginger (Use a thick section weighing approximately 15 g; peel and mince.)
• 2 tbspneutral vegetable oil
• 0.5 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspmild ground dried red chile (Use pure ground chile, not a cumin-containing chili seasoning blend.)
• 1 tbspfish sauce (Choose a gluten-free brand; saltiness varies with the bean paste.)
• 600 mlwater (Divide into 500 ml for braising and 100 ml for loosening the paste.)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine the pork with the turmeric and fish sauce in a bowl. Leave it for 15 minutes while preparing the onion, garlic, and ginger.

2. 2

   Pound the garlic and ginger into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, mince them together very finely with a knife.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and pale golden rather than deeply browned.

4. 4

   Add the garlic-ginger paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the ground chile, and stir for 20 seconds so it colors the oil without burning.

5. 5

   Add the pork and all its marinade, then cook for 4 minutes, turning the cubes to coat them thoroughly in the onion mixture. Pour in 500 ml water and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the softened aromatics.

6. 6

   Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 50–60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The pork should yield readily to a fork before the bean paste is added; keep the lid closed between checks to retain moisture.

7. 7

   Whisk the pone yay gyi with the remaining 100 ml water until evenly loosened. Stir it into the tender pork, then simmer uncovered over low heat for 12–15 minutes, scraping the bottom every 2 minutes to prevent the paste from catching.

8. 8

   Stop cooking when the sauce is thick enough to coat the pork, with small beads of oil visible around the edges. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve with steamed rice; lahpet thoke, the Burmese fermented tea-leaf salad, makes a contrasting side dish.