Skip to main content

The meat inside The Naaco Truck’s naan-wrapped pulled-pork taco can be marinated in its sweet, gingery sauce several days ahead of the party.Bryce Meyer

According to Aman Adatia, the chef and co-founder with Stephanie Shields of THE NAACO TRUCK in Calgary, the key to pulling off his complex Indian-inspired dishes at home is, ironically, the one kitchen appliance most food trucks don't contain: a freezer. The pork in his Panchy Pig 'naaco' (a taco wrapped in naan bread) can be marinated days ahead of your party and frozen in its marinade, then defrosted for a day or two before you slow-roast it.

Even the apricot tarragon chutney that he spoons overtop can be made ahead, in double or triple quantity, and frozen until the day of the party.

Another benefit of making extra sauce ahead of time: If you run out and need more right away, Shields adds, you can quickly defrost some from your reserves – and even send guests home with a jarful.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this recipe contained incorrect information in the method section.

Servings: 6 to 8

Ready Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Meat

2-kilogram pork shoulder, trimmed and fat cap scored

Panch Poran Spice Blend

1/4 cup fenugreek seeds

1/4 cup nigella seeds

1/4 cup cumin seeds

1/4 cup black mustard seeds

1/4 fennel seeds

2 tablespoons smoked sweet Spanish paprika

Marinade

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons freshly chopped garlic

3 tablespoons freshly chopped ginger

3 cups crushed tomato

2 cups ginger beer

Method

Place fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and fennel seeds in a spice grinder and process until fine. Stir in sweet Spanish paprika.

Combine ingredients for marinade in a bowl. Add half of the Panch Poran spice mixture to the marinade.

Coat the pork shoulder with marinade. Place in a sealed container and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 300 F.

Remove pork from marinade and place in a large roasting pan, skin side up. If necessary, add enough additional ginger beer to bring liquid level a quarter of the way up the sides of the pan.

Braise pork shoulder for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until the meat can be pulled apart easily.

Serve with warm naan bread with tarragon chutney, a salad of carrot and red cabbage with your favourite dressing.

The remaining spice mixture can be used on steak, blackened fish and roasted vegetables.

Follow The Naaco Truck on Twitter: @TheNaacoTruck.

Interact with The Globe