Greek Braised Pork
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
  • 5 to 6 pounds or boneless country pork ribs or boneless pork shoulder, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces and patted dry
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • ½ cup honey, divided (see Notes)
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (~ 1 orange)
  • ½ cup orange juice (~ 2 to 3 oranges) (see Notes)
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position.
  2. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil.
  4. Set aside about ¼ of the pork. Brown the remaining pieces of pork in batches (it took me 4 batches). Add pork pieces in an even layer (be careful not to crowd them) and cook without stirring until well browned, about 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip the pieces and cook without stirring until well browned on the second side, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat until you’ve browned about ¾ of the pork, adding more oil if needed. Add the remaining ¼ pork to the bowl – it does not need to be browned.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  6. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  7. Stir in 1 tablespoon rosemary, bay leaves, dried oregano, fennel seeds and ¼ cup honey.
  8. Return the pork and any juices to the pot, pour in ¾ cup water, and stir.
  9. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until a skewer inserted into a piece of pork meets no resistance, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Check at 2 hours and cook longer if needed (2-1/2 hours was just right for the braise I made).
  10. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large bowl and cover to keep warm (if you’re not eating it immediately, there’s no need to cover).
  11. Tilt the pot to pool the cooking liquid to one side, then use a wide spoon to skim off and discard as much fat as possible.
  12. Stir in the orange juice and remaining ¼ cup honey. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until a spatula drawn through the liquid leaves a trail and the liquid has reduced by about half, about 10 minutes.
  13. Remove pot from heat. Stir in the orange zest, remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary, fresh oregano and vinegar.
  14. Return the pork to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce. Taste and season with Kosher salt and pepper.
  15. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat pork over low heat, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Pork will keep, refrigerated, for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
* I used a light orange blossom honey because that’s what I had on hand. A dark, strong honey, such as buckwheat, would also work well.
* Before squeezing oranges, heat it in a microwave for about 20 seconds and then rub it back and forth on the counter top. This easy two-step process results in more juice per piece of fruit.
* Recipe takes about 4 hours to prepare – it takes about 1 hour before pork goes into the oven.
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/greek-braised-pork/