Sauteed Pork with Peppers and Onions

This Sauteed Pork (Hirini Tigania) is a proper Greek Meze. Juicy bites of pork coated in a glossy, smoky, mustardy glaze, with slightly crisp peppers, sweet onions, and fragrant herbs.

Table Of Contents

• Ingredients
• How To Make
• Best Pork Cut To Use
• Tips
• Using Other Meat
• Serve With
• Recipe

This cozy and flavorful dish comes together quickly. Like all Greek Meze dishes, it's meant to be shared, with wine or tsipouro and some crusty bread on the side.

The truth is, that it's so good that Greeks even enjoy it as a main dish. It's delicious with some boiled rice or potato fries on the side.

Ingredients

• Boneless Pork Pieces (see which cut is best in the text below).
• Olive Oil: just a splash to saute and brown the meat.
• Ground Coriander
• Dried Thyme: or you can use a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
• Dry White Wine: for a stronger, heartier flavor, you can even use sweet red wine. Or even use beer that goes so well with pork.
• Bell Peppers: A mix of red and green bell peppers. Or other sweet red peppers (I use Florina Peppers). These are the most flavorful, but you can also use yellow and orange bell peppers for a more colorful dish.
• Red Onion
• Dried Oregano: can be substituted with dried marjoram.
• Mild Mustard: If you want a stronger flavor, you can use Dijon mustard.
• Smoked Paprika: this adds a nice depth of flavor and a delicious smokiness to the pork. If you're not a fan, use sweet paprika.
• Garlic Powder

How To Make

To make Sauteed Pork with Peppers and Onions, first saute the meat until beautifully browned. Then pour in the wine and simmer, covered at low heat, until tender.

Next, uncover and cook until all moisture drains and the meat starts to saute again. Stir in the peppers and onions. Cook until slightly softened yet crisp, and finally mix in mustard, herbs, and spices. Pour a splash of hot water to deglaze the pan and form a thick, glossy sauce.

Best Pork Cut To Use

Traditionally, Greek Pork Tigania is made with boneless pork shoulder or neck cuts. These cuts are the best to use for sauteed pork dishes because they have just the right amount of fat to keep them juicy and tender.

Tips

1. Browning is what gives this sauteed pork recipe real flavor. Let the meat brown well on both sides. The olive oil should be really hot when you add the pieces of meat to the pan. Wait a few seconds between adding pieces to let the temperature rise again. If you toss the pieces in all at once, quickly, the temperature will drop, and the meat will sizzle rather than brown.
2. Simmering the meat in wine, covered and at a low heat, after browning, helps it become tender. Don't rush, let it simmer gently, and test with a knife to see if it is tender before moving to the next step. If the wine drains, add a splash of hot water. Though this won't be necessary if you keep the temperature low.
3. Drain wine completely. After simmering, raise the heat and cook uncovered until all moisture drains from the pan. Only the oil should remain, and the meat will start sautéing again. Then you can add the peppers and onions.
4. Don't overcook the peppers; let them retain a bite.
5. Finish off with a splash of hot water. Scrape the pan and mix well to collect all the flavors. This will form a thick, glazy sauce that sticks to the pork pieces.

Using Other Meat

You can make Greek tigania with chicken or beef. If using beef, follow the same steps with pork.

If using chicken, there's no need to simmer the meat. Just pour in the wine, cook and stir until it evaporates. Then proceed to the next steps as instructed in the recipe.

Serve With

Serve this hearty sautéed pork with peppers and onions as a Meze with wine, tsipouro, or beer, along with other Greek Meze dishes like Skordalia (Mashed Potato and Garlic Dip), Htipiti (Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip), Greek-stuffed vine Leaves, or Baked Eggplant Rolls Stuffed with Cheese.

Or serve as a main dish with Greek Fries With Feta, or plain Boiled Rice.

Recipe