Hirino me Selino: Greek Pork with Celery in Egg-Lemon Sauce

Hirino me selino is the Christmas dish of many Greek families: chunks of pork stewed slowly with celery and leeks, then finished with avgolemono, the egg-lemon sauce that turns the broth silky and fresh. In the Greek countryside the pig was traditionally slaughtered just before Christmas, which is why pork, not turkey, is the classic Greek Christmas meat.

Use pork shoulder or neck: they stay juicy during the long, gentle cooking.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 1 hour 45 min

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg pork shoulder or neck, in large chunks
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 leeks, in rings
• 1 head of celery (about 800 g), in 5 cm pieces, leaves included
• 100 ml dry white wine (optional)
• About 1 litre hot water
• 1 small bunch dill, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• For the avgolemono: 2 eggs, juice of 2 lemons, 1 tsp cornflour (optional)

Method

1. Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides in the olive oil in a large, heavy pan. Take it out.
2. Soften the onion and leeks in the same pan for 5 minutes. Return the meat, add the wine if using and let it bubble for a minute.
3. Pour in hot water until the meat is almost covered. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile blanch the celery for 3 minutes in boiling salted water and drain: this takes away its bitterness.
5. Add the celery and dill to the pork and simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender and the celery is soft. About 500 ml of broth should remain; add a little hot water if needed.
6. For the avgolemono, beat the eggs (with the cornflour, if using) until frothy and beat in the lemon juice. While whisking constantly, slowly add two ladles of the hot broth.
7. Take the pan off the heat, pour in the egg-lemon and shake the pan gently, without stirring, until the sauce thickens. Do not let it boil again or the eggs will curdle. Serve straight away with fresh bread.

Tips

• Celeriac in cubes works just as well as stalk celery, or use half of each.
• Warm the egg-lemon with the hot broth before it goes into the pan: that is what keeps it smooth.
• Reheat leftovers gently, without boiling.

Products from Bakaliko

• Foufas - Liofyto Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500 ml

More Greek recipes

• Greek Christmas recipes: a complete Greek Christmas dinner
• Laxanodolmades: Greek stuffed cabbage rolls

Photo: Antonio Fajardo López, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.