Drunken Greek Pork Stew with Red Wine

Drunken Greek pork stew is a slow-simmered dish of pork shoulder, red wine, tomato, and warm spices, served with bread or a starch to catch the rich sauce. Greek home cooks make braised pork in many regional and family styles; this stovetop version draws on the familiar combination of wine, cinnamon, and allspice for a savory, gently aromatic stew.

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch cubes (1.36 kg)
1½ tsp fine salt (9 g), plus more to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (1 g)
2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup or 150 g)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 12 g)
2 tbsp tomato paste (32 g)
2 cups dry red wine, such as a medium-bodied Greek or other table wine (475 ml)
1 can crushed tomatoes (14½ oz or 411 g)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or water (240 ml)
1 bay leaf (about 0.2 g)
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches long (2 g), or ½ tsp ground cinnamon (1.3 g)
½ tsp ground allspice (1 g)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (15 ml), plus more to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (8 g), for serving

Instructions

Prepare the pork. Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels; this helps them brown instead of steam. Season all over with the salt and pepper. Chop the onion and garlic and measure the remaining ingredients before you start cooking. The stated 25 minutes of prep allows time for cutting and organizing the ingredients.
Brown the pork in batches. Heat the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or other large, lidded pot over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add enough pork to cover the bottom without crowding. Brown the cubes on two or three sides, turning as needed, for about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a plate and repeat; allow about 15 minutes total. If the pot gets dry, add a small splash of oil. Browning builds flavor, but the pork does not need to cook through at this stage.
Cook the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pot and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly. Avoid letting the garlic scorch, which can make the sauce taste bitter.
Deglaze with wine. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any stuck-on browned bits. Bring it to a steady simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. The wine should reduce a little and lose its raw, sharp smell; it will not necessarily cook away completely.
Build the stew. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock or water, bay leaf, cinnamon, and allspice. Return the pork and any juices on the plate to the pot. Bring the liquid just to a simmer, then lower the heat so it bubbles gently rather than boiling hard. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar if the stew tends to boil over.
Braise until tender. Simmer gently for 1 hour 40 minutes, stirring every 25 to 30 minutes and turning the pieces so they cook evenly. If the sauce becomes very thick before the pork is tender, stir in a little hot water or stock. The meat should yield easily when pressed with a fork. Check the center of a large pork piece with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS gives 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of pork; leave the stew covered off the heat for at least 3 minutes after confirming that temperature. The long braise should make the pork tender beyond the minimum temperature.
Concentrate and season the sauce. Remove the lid and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce clings lightly to the pork. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Stir in the red wine vinegar, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed. A little acidity brightens the deep tomato-and-wine flavor; add it gradually so it does not overwhelm the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Tips

Choose a suitable cut. Pork shoulder, sometimes labeled Boston butt, has enough connective tissue and fat to stay succulent during a long braise. Lean loin is a poor substitute here because it can become dry and firm before the sauce develops the same body. Trim only large, hard pieces of surface fat; small seams of fat help the meat stay tender.
Use a wine you would drink. A dry red wine with moderate tannins works well. Very sweet wine can make the tomato sauce cloying, while a heavily oaked or very tannic wine may taste harsh after reducing. If you need to avoid alcohol, use extra stock and add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar at the end; the result will be less wine-scented and a little less complex.
Keep the simmer gentle. A vigorous boil can make the pork tighten and cause the sauce to stick. If the surface is bubbling rapidly, lower the heat. Stir the bottom of the pot periodically, especially once the tomatoes begin to thicken.
Adjust thickness at the end. If the sauce is too loose, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes. If it has reduced too far, loosen it with warm stock or water. Avoid adding flour at the start: it can make a long-cooked tomato sauce pasty, and reduction is an easy way to control consistency.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stew hot in shallow bowls, with plenty of sauce over the pork. Crusty bread is a simple choice for scooping up the wine-and-tomato gravy. For a more filling plate, spoon it over orzo, rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered egg noodles; these are practical pairings rather than a claim that there is only one traditional accompaniment. A small serving of roasted or steamed green beans, sautéed greens, or a crisp salad adds freshness beside the rich braise.

Finish with chopped parsley and, if you like, a little extra black pepper. Keep any side dish relatively plain so it does not compete with the cinnamon and allspice in the stew. If serving the stew for a gathering, it can be made ahead and warmed gently; its flavor often tastes more rounded after a night in the refrigerator.

Variations

Add pearl onions: Stir in about 1 lb peeled pearl onions (450 g) with the tomatoes. They soften during the braise and add sweetness. Frozen pearl onions can be used straight from the freezer; they may release a little extra liquid, so simmer uncovered a few minutes longer if needed.
Use a different aromatic balance: For a warmer, more pronounced spice note, add one or two whole cloves (about 0.2 g) with the cinnamon and remove them before serving. For a milder version, omit the allspice or use a smaller cinnamon stick. Keep the spices in the background so the pork, tomato, and wine remain clear.
Make it without wine: Replace the wine with 1½ cups unsweetened red grape juice (355 ml) plus ½ cup stock (120 ml), and keep the stock in the ingredient list. Reduce the vinegar at the end to 1 teaspoon, then taste. Grape juice makes the sauce sweeter and less dry than wine, so balance it with more vinegar only if needed.
Add mushrooms: Brown 8 oz sliced mushrooms (225 g) separately in a skillet, then stir them into the pot for the final 20 minutes. Cooking them separately gives them better color and prevents them from releasing all their liquid into the stew at the beginning.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Transfer the stew to shallow, covered containers so it cools promptly, and keep it refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in meal-size airtight containers for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little room at the top because the sauce expands as it freezes. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.

Reheat only the amount you plan to serve. Warm the stew in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce has thickened. It may also be reheated in a microwave in a covered, microwave-safe dish, stirring partway through so it heats evenly. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the center with a food thermometer. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, to avoid drying the pork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does drunken mean in drunken Greek pork stew?
It refers to the red wine used in the braising liquid, not to a cocktail or a special cooking technique. The wine brings acidity and depth to the tomato sauce. Some of its alcohol may remain after cooking, so do not assume that simmering makes the dish alcohol-free.

Can I make the stew in a slow cooker?
Yes. For the best flavor, brown the pork and cook the onion, garlic, and tomato paste in a skillet first, then deglaze with the wine and transfer everything to the slow cooker with the tomatoes, stock, and spices. Cook on low until the pork is tender, usually about 7 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 to 5 hours; slow cookers vary, so use tenderness as the guide. If the sauce is thin, reduce it uncovered in a saucepan before serving.

Can I prepare it the day before?
Yes. Cool and refrigerate it promptly, then reheat it gently the next day to 165°F (74°C). The pork and sauce hold well overnight, and the flavors have time to mingle. If the sauce looks very thick after chilling, add a small splash of stock or water as it warms.

Why is my pork still tough after the stated cooking time?
It may need more time at a gentle simmer. Shoulder varies in size and connective tissue, and a pot that is simmering too softly may cook more slowly. Continue braising in 15-minute increments, keeping the pot covered and checking for fork tenderness. Do not try to solve tough meat by raising the heat to a rolling boil.

What can I use instead of a cinnamon stick?
Use ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (1.3 g), as listed, and stir it in with the allspice. Ground cinnamon disperses throughout the sauce, so its flavor can seem more pronounced than a whole stick; start with the measured amount and avoid adding extra until you taste the finished stew. If you do not enjoy cinnamon in savory food, omit it rather than replacing it with a sweet spice blend.

Which red wine is best for the stew?
Choose a dry, medium-bodied red that is pleasant to drink, such as a Greek Agiorgitiko or Xinomavro if available, or another dry red with balanced acidity. The exact grape is not essential. Avoid sweet dessert wines, and do not use a wine that tastes unpleasant on its own, since reducing concentrates its flavor in the sauce.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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