pork Archives - CaribbeanPot.com

About This Baigan and Aloo Recipe

Baigan (Eggplant) and Aloo (Potato) With Stewed Pork is one of those dishes that instantly takes me back to my childhood in the Caribbean. Growing up, this was a Monday kind of meal, made after Sunday dinner when there was always some stewed meat left over. Mommy would stretch that leftover stewed chicken, beef, or pork into something completely new, hearty, and deeply satisfying.

This dish was almost always paired with hot Sada Roti, making it a complete comfort meal. Back then, eggplant was never hard to find. We had it growing in the kitchen garden behind the house, and if not, mom made sure to pick some up at the farmer’s market in Marabella (south Trinidad) every Friday morning. Whether you call it baigan, eggplant, or melongene, it played a starring role in many home-cooked meals like this one.

This version uses leftover stewed pork, sometimes called brown-stew pork, but the method works just as well with any stewed meat you have on hand. It’s simple cooking, rooted in tradition, and exactly how many of us learned to make the most of what was already in the fridge.

Ingredient Guide

Eggplant (Baigan): Eggplant forms the base of this dish, breaking down as it cooks and helping to thicken the gravy while adding a mild, slightly sweet flavour.

Potatoes (Aloo): Potatoes add body and heartiness, soaking up the flavours of the seasonings and stewed pork.

Garlic: Garlic builds the first layer of flavour and gives the dish its aromatic foundation.

Onion: Onion adds natural sweetness and depth once it softens during cooking.

Scotch Bonnet Pepper: Used sparingly, this adds gentle heat and classic Caribbean flavour. It can be adjusted or replaced to suit your tolerance.

Leftover Stewed Pork: This brings richness and seasoning to the dish, making it a great way to repurpose Sunday’s leftovers.

Olive Oil: Used for sautéing and helping the garlic release its flavour.

Salt and Black Pepper: These balance and enhance all the ingredients as they cook together.

Water: Water helps everything come together into a tender, saucy dish.

Optional ingredients include coconut milk for richness, pimento peppers for aroma, and Caribbean green seasoning for added herbal notes.

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

• You can leave the skin on the eggplant if you like, as it adds a slightly sweet, smoky flavour once cooked.
• Cutting the potatoes into different sizes allows some pieces to hold their shape while others break down and thicken the sauce.
• If scotch bonnet peppers are hard to find, any mild or medium chili pepper will work.
• This dish is forgiving, so feel free to adjust the seasoning toward the end to suit your taste.
• Adding a splash of coconut milk will give the dish a richer, creamier finish.

Shopping Made Easy

• Most grocery stores carry eggplant and potatoes year-round in the produce section.
• Caribbean green seasoning and scotch bonnet peppers are often found in Caribbean or international markets.
• If you don’t have leftover stewed pork, you can prepare a small batch in advance or substitute stewed chicken or beef.
• Look for firm, glossy eggplants without soft spots for best results.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

You can replace the scotch bonnet pepper with any pepper you enjoy or can easily find. If you cut the potato pieces into different sizes, some will break down while others will hold their shape, giving the dish a nice texture. You can also leave the skin on the eggplant if you like, as it adds a slightly sweet, smoky flavour once cooked.

Baigan (Eggplant) And Aloo (Potato) With Stewed Pork

A comforting Caribbean classic made with tender eggplant and potatoes simmered together, then finished with leftover stewed pork for a deeply flavorful one-pot meal. This is traditional Monday cooking at its best and perfect with hot sada roti.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Course Caribbean Classics, Comfort Food, Easy Caribbean Recipes, Pork Recipes

Servings people

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic smashed
3 lbs eggplant peeled and cubed
3/4 tablespoon salt adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 lbs potatoes peeled and sliced
1 large onion sliced
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper optional
2 cups water
2 to 3 cups leftover stewed pork brown-stew pork
Optional ingredients:
Coconut milk up to 1/2 cup
2 Pimento peppers chopped
tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning

Instructions

Wash, peel, and dice the eggplant and potatoes. Prepare the onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook on low heat for about 2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.
Add the eggplant to the pot, increase the heat to medium, and stir well. Season with the salt and black pepper.
After about 1 minute, add the potatoes, sliced onion, and scotch bonnet pepper in an amount you can tolerate. Stir to combine. Habanero pepper is an excellent substitute for the scotch bonnet.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Add the water, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook with the lid slightly ajar. Stir every 4-5 minutes and add more water if required.
After about 20 minutes, add the leftover stewed pork and stir well so it’s evenly distributed.
Cook uncovered for 4 to 6 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked off and the dish has a thick, rich consistency. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking.
Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve with hot roti (I prefer Sada roti).

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make baigan and aloo without meat?
Yes, this dish works very well as a vegetarian option. Leave out the stewed pork and consider adding coconut milk or extra seasoning for depth.

What can I substitute for Scotch onnet pepper?
You can use any chili pepper you prefer, or omit it entirely if you prefer a mild dish.

Can I use frozen eggplant?
Fresh eggplant is best for texture, but frozen eggplant can be used in a pinch, keeping in mind it will break down faster.

What should I serve with baigan and aloo?
This dish is traditionally served with sada roti, but it also pairs well with rice or dhal.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Meat & Poultry

Candied Pork Tenderloins On The BBQ.

May 27, 2025July 16, 20134 Comments

The past three recipes during this the official month of grilling on Caribbeanpot.com, we’ve done our cooking on a propane grill but today we’ll go old school and dust out the charcoal bbq for that extreme flavor you can only get by using coals. With just two steps and a few ingredients you’ll not only love how simple this candied pork tenderloins are to make, but you’ll be amazed at how juicy and packed with flavor they will be.

The first step is to marinate the pork tenderloins, then spark up the charcoal bbq and do your thing!

You’ll Need…

3lbs pork tenderloins
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar (golden)
2 sprigs thyme
2 seasoning peppers (pimento peppers)
1 teaspoon grated ginger

* I used dark soy sauce but if you’re concerned about the sodium level, you can certainly use a light soy. If you can’t source the seasoning peppers, you can use a 1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper finely diced. You can also combine the seasoning peppers with scotch bonnet for a little Caribbean KICK!

Though there are only two steps in making these amazing candied pork tenderloins, it does require some patience. In a bowl combine the soy sauce, ginger, garlic and brown sugar, then place the (washed and dry) tenderloins in a zipper bag (get a strong one so it does not leak on you) and mix in all the ingredients. Seal the bag, give it a good massage then place it in a bowl in the fridge. I put it in a bowl so in the event of any leakage, there won’t be a mess in the fridge to clean up.

TIP! For extreme flavor allow this to marinate overnight, but you can also go with a couple hours if you’re pressed for time.

As you get your coals up to temperature I would recommend taking the pork out of the fridge, discard the marinade and allow it to come up to room temperature. The last thing you want to do is to put cold meat on a hot bbq.

Here is where you will now personalize the dish by the technique you use for grilling. I did the indirect method where I placed the tenderloins away from direct heat and allowed them to slowly cook for about 45 minutes. Since pork tenderloins are never uniform in shape, I always place the skinny end as far away from the direct heat as this end will ALWAYS cook faster and can dry-up on you.

Please note that due to the sugar as well as the soy sauce in the marinade it will take on color very fast, so try to cook over indirect heat. That said, the last 4-5 minutes of cooking I did place them directly over the heat to get a lovely color and for added flavor.

After you remove them off the bbq, it’s very important that you cover them with some tin foil and allow them to rest before slicing. This resting will redistribute the natural juices back into the meat and make for a more tender and juicy candied pork tenderloins.

Tip: You can add some apple wood to the coals for a lovely fruity smoke flavor which will compliment the pork very well. If you don’t have a charcoal grill, you can do your thing on a propane grill.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Oven Roasted Pork.

May 27, 2025February 11, 201320 Comments

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of roasting meat in the oven, especially when you have that eager anticipation of a lovely dinner. Though over the years I’ve modified this recipe from it’s original beginnings (our mom’s recipe) , it really one which I’m very proud and excited to share. As with the other recipes in the “ultimate” series, you’ll find that this roasted pork will be an instant hit with your family and friends. And if by chance you have any left the following morning, don’t hesitate in making up a sandwich or two… you’ll be counting down the lunch hr at work.

You’ll Need..

4 lbs Pork *
1 cup orange juice
1 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
thick slice of ginger (about 1-2 tablespoon)
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 large onion
3 scallions
1 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 pimento berries (allspice)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Notes: Do try to get a piece of pork which is not overly lean. With some fat or marbling, you’ll have a much more tender and juicy roasted pork. If you want to control the heat, don’t include any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper. At first you may think this is overly spicy, but the other flavors we add will help balance things.. trust me!

First up we must make the marinade so we can infuse this lovely piece of pork with some wicked flavors. Give the scallion, thyme, onion, garlic, ginger and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop, then place everything (except the pork) into a food processor (or blender) and puree for a minute or two. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, chop everything mentioned above very finely and mix in the other ingredients.

Wash and pat dry the pork, then place it in a deep bowl (or large zip lock bag) and pour the marinade over it. Give it a good toss, cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours (at least).

Place the well seasoned pork into a roasting pan (with a cover) and pour in all the marinade into the pan as well. Set your oven at 400F and place on the middle rack for 1 hour. After 1 hr, flip to the other side and go for another hour. Be sure to baste the pork as it roast with the marinade at the bottom of the pan.

After 2 hours, remove the lid and roast for another 15 minutes to give it some lovely colour and to reduce the gravy at the bottom of the pan. Remember to spoon some of that gravy over the pork as it roasts. I like my pork well done, but you can certainly tailor it to your liking. You’re looking for an internal temp of 160 F.

You would have noticed that I didn’t add any salt to this, that’s because I found that the soy sauce gave it all the salt I needed. But I’m sure you may want to add about a 1/2 teaspoon or so.. to your liking. The orange juice wasn’t fresh squeezed if you’re wondering. Cover and allow to rest about 15 minutes before slicing through. The gravy at the bottom of the pan will be outstanding, so don’t you dare toss that out. There’s enough here to feed between 5-7 people.