Ingredients Pork Pork Ribs Vindaloo 4.0 (2) 2 Reviews Chef Floyd Cardoz created this juicy, saucy dish as an ode to his mother's pork vindaloo, using ribs instead of the more traditional shoulder. Serve the ribs with crusty bread to mop up every bit of the spiced, tangy sauce. By Floyd Cardoz Floyd Cardoz F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Long-known for his spectacularly creative Indian cooking at Tabla, Floyd Cardoz is now the chef at New York City’s North End Grill. He tells F&W how to pick a perfect holiday food gift and more. What’s your favorite holiday food gift? I love giving something that’s a little more practical, like brandied or bourbon cherries, spice mixes, things that people are going to use, that won’t sit on a shelf. Or alcohol that people are going to drink. So if someone likes Scotch, make sure to give them a Scotch gift, not a liqueur they’d never want. For spice mixes I do rubs, like mustard and coriander and pepper. I keep the packaging simple: I just put it in a bag and give a recipe. I also like to give a bacon-of-the-month subscription, because who doesn’t love bacon? What’s your favorite holiday cocktail? I love Champagne with something—a little tinted liqueur, or something light, like pomegranate seeds, they look nice and festive. A tamarind margarita also goes down very easily. I make that year-round, because people love it so much. I put in tamarind paste, triple sec or Cointreau, a good tequila, and a splash of orange juice and fresh lime juice. Can you share a great entertaining tip? As soon as people come in, have food ready to go. It could be as simple as a terrine or platter of charcuterie, anything so it’s easy to eat and can sit out for a while without going bad. What are 3 don’t-miss places to visit in New York City? If I have guests coming to the city, I always take them down Fifth Avenue to see the lights and the window displays, particularly the Lord & Taylor showroom windows. In Midtown, Fifth Avenue has such a festive, happy, it’s-Christmas feeling to it. If my guests have kids, I always take them to FAO Schwarz. It’s a madhouse, but it’s also something you’ve got to do if you come to New York. I always love going to the Union Square Greenmarket at the holidays. They have the wreaths, the dried flowers and all the foods that you want to serve, everything you associate with the season. What’s the one dish you’re most known for? At the holidays, for my family every year I make a Goan pork stew called sorpatel, with steamed rice cakes called sanna, which my mom and my grandmother and great-grandmother used to always have at Christmas. The stew is made from pork belly with a little bit of liver, vinegar, chiles and a lot of garlic, clove and cinnamon. The meat is smoked and fried and stewed. It takes three days. It’s not easy but it’s absolutely delicious. The steamed rice cakes are slightly fermented—you soak the rice overnight, then grind the rice, then let it sit open overnight so it kind of ferments, then you add a little fresh coconut so it has a slight sweetness. It’s not as sour as a sourdough, but it has a slight sourness to it. What’s your favorite cookbook of all time? I don’t read too many cookbooks, but there is one book that I absolutely love, called 50 Great Curries of India, by Camellia Panjabi. The 50 curries are just so different, but so authentic, too. She gave me a copy maybe 10 or 15 years ago. I just respect her tremendously, and I’ve been suggesting it to everybody ever since. What’s one technique everyone should know? Basting meat. I use a spoon, not a basting bulb. It helps give the meat the flavors of whatever you’re cooking it with, like garlic or rosemary. And it helps give the meat color. I generally suggest people baste as many times as they possibly can. Even if you’re just cooking a steak, I’d say baste it every 4 to 5 minutes if you can. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 1, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Marcus Nilsson Active Time: 1 hrs Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Yield: 4 to 6 Ingredients Two 2-pound racks St. Louis–cut pork ribs, membranes removed and each rack halved Kosher salt Pepper 2 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed and broken into large pieces 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 3 whole cloves One 1-inch cinnamon stick 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger 1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1/4 cup silver tequila 3 tablespoons finely grated jaggery Crusty bread or steamed basmati rice, for serving Directions Season the ribs with salt and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a spice grinder, pulse the dried chiles with the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick until finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the chile powder, turmeric, cayenne, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper until a paste forms. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the red onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and the spice mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until deep red in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the stock, tequila, jaggery, ribs and the remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the ribs are very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the ribs to a work surface and let cool slightly; cut into individual ribs. Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes; season with salt. Return the ribs to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve with crusty bread or steamed basmati rice. Make Ahead The ribs can be refrigerated in the sauce overnight. Rate it Print