Afelia is a classic Cypriot dish of pork marinated and braised in red wine and coriander seeds. With the short ingredient list (the only other items are olive oil, salt, and pepper), it’s as easy as braising gets.

The coriander seed is a mild spice that adds a sweet citrus note. It is used extensively in traditional Cypriot and Greek fare. Any dish prepared à la grecque (in the greek style) is almost guaranteed to have some.

The braising liquid of red wine and crushed coriander seeds gives the pork a subtle sweetness and sourness. Most afelia recipes call for coarsely ground coriander seeds and no straining. The grittiness may seem distracting at first, but I find that it contrasts nicely against the tenderness of slowly cooked pork.

recipe adapted from Diane Kochilas’ The Food and Wine of Greece
Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Cheryl

Afelia
Pork Braised with Red Wine and Coriander Seeds

makes 4 to 6 servings
start the preparation one day in advance

Coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle.

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork shoulder, sliced into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups dry red wine
2 heaping tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Notes:

• Crush the coriander seeds right before using. It rapidly loses aroma once ground.

Directions:

1. Marinate the pork. Put the sliced pork in a bowl and add 1 1/2 cups red wine. Coarsely crush 1 heaping tablespoon of coriander seeds and mix with the pork and red wine. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. Braise the pork. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Reserve all of the marinade.
3. In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the pork on all sides, a few pieces at a time if necessary.
4. Pour the marinade along with the remaining 1/2 cup of red wine and just enough water to barely cover the pork. Season lightly with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the braising liquid will be reduced. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and braise for about 2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender. Add more water during the braise if necessary.
5. About 20 minutes before removing the pork from the heat, coarsely crush the remaining 1 heaping tablespoon of coriander seeds and sprinkle over the pork. Reduce the braising liquid until thick.
6. Serve hot with crusty olive bread. Also try Ivy’s version cooked with potatoes.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Afelia – Pork Braised with Red Wine and Coriander Seeds

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1. Braised Pork Belly – Hangzhou Dongpo Pork
2. Pork Shoulder Braised with Oranges – Puerco en Naranja
3. Pork Belly Recipe – Braised in Soy and Dashi
4. Baby-Back Pork Ribs Adobo
5. Red Wine Granita
6. Feed a Crowd: Red Cooked Pork Shoulder

Two-in-one recipes are more fun when booze is involved. That is fact. In this recipe, we end up with bonus snifters of basic vino caliente, or South American mulled wine, to go with blushing red poached pears. Granted, there isn’t anything exclusively South American about the spiced wine component, but vino caliente sounds much cooler than “hot wine,” doesn’t it?

Once the pears are poached, some of the spiced wine is simmered down into a light and fruity syrup. The wine reduction keeps the richness of the dulce de leche sauce in check.

Warm dessert. Spiced wine. Winter will be over before you know it. For sunnier days, serve the pears with dulce de leche ice cream or make a granita out of the leftover vino.

recipe adapted from Maria Baez Kijac’s The South American Table

Peras con Salsa de Dulce de Leche
Poached Pears with Dulce de Leche Sauce

makes 4 generous servings

4 ripe but firm Anjou or Bartlett pears
walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped for garnishing

For the Poaching Liquid:

1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
a strip of zest from 1 lemon or lime

For the Dulce de Leche Sauce:

1/2 cup dulce de leche
1/2 cup light whipping cream
1 tablespoon rum or brandy (optional)

Notes:

• The poached pears, spiced wine syrup, and dulce de leche sauce can be made ahead of time. Reheat just before serving.

Instructions:

1. Prepare the poaching liquid. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the red wine, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and citrus zest to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes.
2. While the poaching liquid simmers, prepare the pears. Peel, cut in half lengthwise, and core to remove the seeds.
3. Add the pears to the poaching liquid. Cover and poach the pears for about 10 minutes, until tender but still firm. Transfer the pears to a large platter.
   
4. Remove all but 1 cup of the poaching liquid from the saucepan (reserve the excess wine and enjoy as a warm beverage). Simmer the remaining wine over medium heat until reduced by half and slightly thickened.
5. Prepare the dulce de leche sauce. Heat the dulce de leche and cream over medium heat. Stir until smooth and continue cooking only until the sauce is heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum or brandy (if using).
6. Spoon a few tablespoons of the dulce de leche sauce on small serving plates. Slice the poached pears and set on top of the dulce de leche sauce. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the spiced wine syrup over the pear slices and top with walnuts or pecans. Serve while still warm.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Poached Pears with Dulce de Leche Sauce

Similar Posts:

1. Dulce de Leche Recipe
2. Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
3. Hot Chocolate with Caramel and Cinnamon
4. Easy Pear Tart Recipe
5. Suji Halwa – Indian Semolina and Raisin Pudding
6. Red Wine Granita

This sweet red wine granita is quite possibly the sneakiest way to incapacitate boring (or bored) guests. Do your visitors think they’re too sophisticated to get plastered? Call it a “Citrus-Infused Frozen Sangria Sorbet” and they’ll be downing Jager Bombs in no time. Having meatheads over to watch a UFC pay-per-view? Claim that your antioxidant-rich wine granita is so much more awesome than protein shakes, dude. If meathead responds with a double-leg takedown and refuses anything fermented grape, no worries — a pint of fruity frozen beer will be sure to satisfy.

This granita also wins the award for Best Use of Two-Buck Chuck or Carlo Rossi wine. Just admit that you have a few bottles hidden in the crisper drawer right now. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and cloves, the cheap wine nose and finish gets much improved without leaving your kitchen smelling like Christmas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

We All Scream for Frozen Desserts hosted by Mike’s Table

recipe adapted from Michel Suas’ Advanced Bread and Pastry

Red Wine Granita

makes 4 servings

2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1/2 cup water
1 bottle red wine (750 ml)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Over low heat, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and maintain a gentle simmer for 3 minutes. Strain the liquid and return to the saucepan. Cover the saucepan and let cool to room temperature.

Freeze the red wine mixture in the saucepan for at least 6 hours. For smaller ice crystals and a finer texture, mix the granita with a fork every 2-3 hours. The alcohol in the wine will keep your granita from freezing into a solid block of ice.

Scrape the surface of the granita with a fork and serve in chilled glassware.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Red Wine Granita

Similar Posts:

1. Afelia – Pork Braised with Red Wine and Coriander Seeds
2. Poached Pears with Dulce de Leche Sauce
3. Hot Chocolate with Caramel and Cinnamon
4. Flan de Naranja – Orange Custard
5. Easy Pear Tart Recipe
6. Pan de Higo – Spanish Fig Cake