Drunken meze (bekri meze)

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Drunken meze (bekri meze)

Starter Serves 4 1h 45 min
You don't have to be tipsy to cook this – apparently the name comes from the wine it's cooked in and the end result of falling apart after a good night out. It's virtually an open house of meat, spices, vegetables and, occasionally, cheese added at the end. The only common factors are oregano, peppers and wine. This recipe uses pork and is a classic meze to serve with a robust red wine.

Ingredients

  • 450g diced pork
  • 1 tbsp seasoned flour
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced in thin rings
  • 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced in thin rings
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced in thin rings
  • 200ml red wine
  • 100ml water
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 heaped tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • olive oil, for frying

Method

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 1h 30 min

  • Step 1

    Toss the meat in the seasoned flour. Using a heavy-bottomed frying pan, sauté the onion and peppers in about ½ cm of oil over medium heat.

  • Step 2

    Add the meat, lower the heat, and brown for 15 minutes, stirring frequently so the meat doesn't stick to the pan. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

  • Step 3

    Add the water if it's looking a little dry, and cook for another 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper, cumin, and oregano, stir for 2 minutes, and remove from the heat. Add the parsley and serve with chunks of bread and the above mentioned red wine.