Pork in Red Wine & Coriander Afelia

THIS IS A HEARTY AND WARM DISH — the type of dish I would expect to enjoy when exploring the mountain villages of Cyprus in the winter. It is often paired with a type of pilaf, or you can just enjoy it on its own since I have added potatoes into this recipe as well. My mom would make this for us on a regular basis growing up, and it is still very popular in Cyprus (I often have people asking me for a recipe). Note that my mom and I use pork tenderloin when making this recipe, but traditionally boneless pork meat from the neck or shoulder is used, which actually results in a more tender dish.

Marinade

Dry Wine 1 ½ cups (enough to cover the meat)

Crushed Coriander Seeds 2 tsp

Black Pepper ½ tsp

Afelia

Pork Tenderloin or Boneless Pork Shoulder 1 lb, cut into cubes that are just larger than bite-sized

Vegetable Oil ⅓ cup, for frying

Fingerling Potatoes 8, cut lengthwise

Red Wine ⅓ cup

Water ½ cup

Crushed Coriander Seeds 1 Tbs

Salt 1 tsp

Pepper ¼ tsp

1 MIX together the marinade ingredients. Marinate the pork in the marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight.

2 ADD the vegetable oil to a large frying pan over high heat on the stove. Once the oil is hot, brown the potatoes in the oil on all sides, then remove and set aside.

3 REMOVE pan from heat and drain half the oil. Place pan back on heat and brown the pork on all sides, reserving the marinade.

4 ONCE pork is browned, add ½ cup marinade and the red wine. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the water, coriander seeds, salt and pepper and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for 35 minutes.

5 AFTER 35 minutes, open the lid for 10 minutes so that the liquid begins to evaporate and create a nice sauce. Continue to simmer until the meat is tender and potatoes are soft and there is just a little liquid left.