• 1 – 1.5 kg Pork loin fillet (from the rack of chops)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, quartered
• ½ kg small mushrooms, halved
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 1 carrot, sliced
• cornflour (corn starch)
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
For the rice with chestnuts, giblets, and minced meat
• 2 cups parboiled rice
• 1 dry onion, finely chopped
• 250g pork mince (ground pork)
• 350g chicken livers (giblets)
• 4 cups hot water
• ½ cup dry red wine
• ⅓ cup Commandaria wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
• 10-15 boiled chestnuts
METHOD
For the Loin:
1. Sear the pork loin over high heat in a deep frying pan until browned. Then, add the onion, carrot, and whole garlic cloves. When they have browned slightly, deglaze with the wine and add the cinnamon, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
2. Add water, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven. Sauté the mushrooms separately in a pan just until they brown. When the meat is cooked, remove it from the baking dish.
3. In the baking dish, add the cornflour and heat it slightly. Whisk until the cornflour dissolves. When the gravy starts to thicken, strain it through a sieve. Slice the meat. Serve it on a platter, arrange the mushrooms around it, and pour half of the gravy over the meat. Serve the remaining gravy on the side.
For the Rice:
1. Sauté the onion and add the minced pork. When it starts to take on some color, add the chicken livers and let them brown.
2. Add the rice and deglaze with the red wine and Commandaria. Pour in the water and add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
3. Add the chestnuts and season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the rice is tender.
