Pork Stewed with Celery in Egg–Lemon Sauce
(Khirino me Selino kai Avgholimono)
Avgholimono (or avgolemono) is often a soup but may also be a sauce, as it is here.
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 bunches celery with leaves, ribs separated and cut crosswise into 3″ pieces
- Salt
- 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably from Kalamata
- 1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2″-thick slices
- 1 egg
- 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook celery in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat until pliable and tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking water. Set celery and cooking water aside.
- Heat oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 6–8 minutes. Add pork, stir well, cover, and simmer until pork is tender, about 2 hours. Add celery to pot, then add enough of the celery cooking water (about 2 cups) to reach halfway up pork and celery. Season to taste with salt. Cover pot and continue to simmer until pork is very tender and celery is soft, about 15 minutes more.
- Whisk eggs and lemon juice together in a medium bowl, then gradually whisk in 2 ladlefuls of the hot pork and celery broth from pot. Remove pot from heat and pour in egg-lemon mixture, tilting pot so that mixture spreads evenly over pork and celery. Adjust seasonings. Transfer to warm serving dish.
