I've cooked my way through all 264 recipes
in The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook!

October 5, 2010

Afelia (p. 434)

Afelia is Cypriote Braised Pork with Wine, Cinnamon, and Coriander, and it is a tasty thing.

The pork needs to marinate for at least 8 hours, so this is one that requires a little advance planning. Cut it into 1 to 2 -inch pieces and toss all the pieces with red wine (a California Cabernet Sauvignon is recommended), crushed coriander seeds, and a cinnamon stick. Place this covered in the fridge to marinate.

When you're ready to cook the dish drain the pork from the marinade, but reserve the liquid for later use. 


Pat the meat dry and toss it in a pot along with olive oil, cooking it until the pork is browned on all sides. This is a little difficult to tell, since the pork is purple from the red wine. I just guesstimated when it was finished and then pulled the pork pieces out and set them aside.

Next up, put peeled small white onions into the oil and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.


Add the meat back into the pot along with the marinade that had been set aside, and salt and pepper. Cover the pot tightly and set at a low simmer for about 2 hours, until the pork is tender and the sauce is syrupy.

I made polenta to serve the pork on top of, and it was lovely.


I realize that this picture makes the meal look a little gross, but it really wasn't. The pork in its sauce is almost like a stew, and very rich. We needed to add a little extra salt and pepper, so don't feel afraid to really add some spices to stew in the pot.

wine -- $7.99 (about 2 cups were used in the recipe and we drank the rest with dinner)
pork -- $11.69
onions -- $2.99
Total Cost of Afelia: $22.67


No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for dropping by! Love, Katrina.