• 1 – 1 ½ kg pork loin fillet (from the loin chop)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion cut into quarters
• 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, livers, and minced meat
• 2 cups parboiled rice
• 1 dry onion, finely chopped
• 250 g pork mince (ground pork)
• 350 g chicken livers
• 4 cups hot water
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1/3 cup Commandaria wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 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 a bit, 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 lightly browned. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the baking dish.
3. In the baking dish, add the cornflour and heat slightly. Whisk until the cornflour dissolves. When the gravy starts to thicken, strain it through a sieve.
Slice the meat. Arrange it on a serving platter. Place the mushrooms around the meat and pour half of the gravy over it. Serve the remaining gravy separately.
For the Rice:
1. Sauté the onion and add the minced meat. When it starts to take on some color, add the chicken livers and let them brown.
2. Add the rice and deglaze with the 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 cook until the rice is tender.
