Afelia is a Greek pork dish marinated in red wine and coriander seeds, giving it a savory sweet and sour taste. It is easy to make at home and is usually served with crusty bread or potatoes.
Popular on Cypress Island, Afelia is a Greek pork dish marinated in red wine. Called a Cypriot dish, Afelia uses red wine and crushed coriander seeds to season the pork before braising. Although it uses few ingredients, Afelia has a savory sweet and sour taste. This dish isn’t easily found outside of Greece, but it’s easy to make at home.
The main flavoring in afelia is a red wine and coriander marinade. Usually salt and pepper are the only other seasonings included. Occasionally other spices, such as cinnamon sticks, are added to the dish. Also cubed, the meat is usually lean pork shoulder, but it can also be short ribs.
Cilantro, the seeds of the coriander plant, is popular in many Greek dishes. Used both in the marinade and towards the end of the cooking process, coriander adds a citrus flavor to Afelia. The seeds should always be ground immediately before use to maintain their maximum flavor. A mortar and pestle works best for grinding the seeds.
The cubed pork is first marinated in the wine-coriander mixture. At a minimum, it should be marinated for several hours, but it’s best to let it soak in the flavor overnight. Once marinated, the meat is removed from the liquid and dried. The liquid is then reserved for later use.
Then, the meat is braised, meaning it is first lightly browned, then simmered until tender. To brown the pork, the pieces are placed in small batches in a pan with olive oil. Once barely browned, each batch is removed and set aside. When all of the pork is browned, return it to the pan after removing the excess oil.
The reserved marinade, along with more red wine or water, is then poured into the pan with the meat and brought to a simmer. The liquid should just cover the meat. At this point, salt and pepper are also added.
As the liquid boils, it thickens through reduction. Just before the Afelia is done cooking, more chopped cilantro is sprinkled over the pork. When the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, the dish is complete.
Afelia is usually served with sides. This dish commonly serves crusty bread or potatoes. Pourgouri pilafi – a type of pilaf that uses vermicelli, wheat and chicken broth – is also a suggested side.
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