Pork in Red Wine with Coriander Seeds (Afelia)
This is a traditional Cypriot recipe that never fails to deliver. Coriander seeds give a very fine lemony taste to the pork which is marinated for 24 hours in red wine and then cooked slowly until if becomes meltingly tender. Coriander seeds are used extensively in traditional Cypriot and Greek fare. Afelia is often served with bulgar wheat and yoghurt.
Ingredients:
1 kg boned lean pork, diced into small cubes
200 ml red wine
1-2 tbs coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 stick cinnamon
6 tbs sunflower or vegetable oil
Procedure:
Marinate the meat in the wine and coriander seeds for at least 24 hours overnight if possible. Strain the pork from the marinade and put the marinade aside for later.
Heat the oil in a heavy based pot and brown the cubes of meat, a few at a time, until all are crisp and brown. Add more oil if necessary.
Take meat cubes out and wipe any excess oil from the pan.
Retum all the meat in pan, pour over the marinade and add enough cold water to just cover the meat.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook gently, either in the oven or on the hob for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Almost all of the liquid should have evaporated to leave a thick sauce.
If necessary cook the afelia uncovered for a further 10 minutes to reduce excess liquid.