Garlic and onion have a common history, similar usage and common properties. Botanically speaking they are a short of brothers as they both belong to the allium category.
Although garlic comes from central Asia, it was very well known in ancient Greece and Egypt as well. Herodotus mentions in his writings, that the slaves who were building the pyramids in Egypt were eating every day garlic in their meals, as it was thought that it gave them extra strength.
In ancient Greece athletes consumed garlic before entering the track especially during Olympic games to gain more stamina. Garlic was used to sooth all kinds of pains and as an antidot to snake’s bite. The ancient Greek diet included garlic as a very important ingredient and people especially the poor ones consumed large quantities of it.
In old testament as Jewish people were wondering in dessert, started complaining because for 40 years they were consuming only manna. They were contemplating the Egyptian food and more particular the leeks, the onions and the garlic.
French named it “thériaque des pauvres” as they believed that it had anti infectious properties. Legend has it that in a medieval plague when dead bodies were lying in the streets, there were 4 thieves who stole shamelessly everything of a value they could find in the bodies, without any fear of being infected. When the authorities caught them, they confessed that they have created an antidot for the plague consisting of garlic, herbs and vinegar. That vinegar was named “vinaigre des quatre voleurs”. The vinegar of the four thieves. That notion remained vivid until very recently to some people and when they had the flu they consumed garlic with wine.
Although, today such legends are told as funny stories, one cannot bypass the beneficial properties of garlic. Scientists say that, as it sloughs off our body, it somehow disinfects all our organs.
A classic meal I was having as a child very often during the weekends was pork cutlets with Greek potatoes in the oven. Usually, my mom made this on Sunday because it is a crowd pleaser, easy to put together and doesn’t require special preparation. Going back to my recipes, I realized I have never posted this recipe and although I make it quite often myself, it somehow missed my attention.
This is a meal that can be made with chicken too and it is certainly a crowd pleaser, very delicious and not a big fuss for the cook.
- 1 to 1.5 kilos / 2 to 2.5 lb pork cut in big chunks or as a whole
- About 6 big potatoes cut lengthwise in 4 pieces (you can add more if you like, it is completely up to you)
- ½ cup mustard
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 onion cut in slices
- 2 garlic cloves cut in half
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup mustard
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Place all the ingredients of the marinade in a non-reactive vessel and whisk to incorporate.
- Place the pork pieces, stir to cover them with the marinade and place them in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Take a deep pan with a lid.
- If you don’t have pan with a lid, you can cover it with parchment paper.
- Arrange the potatoes in a layer.
- Throw the garlic clove in between them.
- Scatter the onion slices on top.
- Salt and pepper and sprinkle the oregano.
- In a small bowl mix the water with the mustard and the honey.
- Pour this mix to the pan followed by the olive oil.
- Cover the pan and let it cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- In the meantime, take the pork out of the fridge to arrive at room temperature.
- Open the lid and check the water.
- If you see that it was absorbed add another one cup.
- Arrange the pork pieces in the pan and pour their marinade.
- Bake for another one hour or until the pork and potatoes have acquired a nice deep golden color.
- Remove, let it rest for five minutes and serve.
- 1 έως 1,5 κιλά χοιρινό κομμένο σε μεγάλα κομμάτια ή ολόκληρο
- Περίπου 6 μεγάλες πατάτες κομμένες κατά μήκος σε 4 κομμάτια (μπορείτε να προσθέσετε περισσότερες, αν θέλετε, από εσάς εξαρτάται)
- ½ φλ. μουστάρδα
- ¼ φλ. μέλι
- ¼ φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- 1 κ.γ. κρεμμύδι σκόνη
- 1 κρεμμύδι κομμένο σε φέτες
- 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο κομμένες στη μέση
- ½ φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- ¼ φλ. μουστάρδα
- ¼ φλ. μέλι
- 2 φλ. νερό
- 2 κ.σ. ρίγανη
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- Τοποθετούμε όλα τα υλικά της μαρινάδας σε ένα ανοξείδωτο ή γυάλινο σκεύος και ανακατεύουμε ελαφρά για να ενσωματωθούν.
- Τοποθετούμε τα χοιρινά κομμάτια, ανακατεύουμε για να τα καλύψουμε με τη μαρινάδα και τα τοποθετούμε στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον 3 ώρες ή όλη νύχτα.
- Προθερμαίνουμε το φούρνο στους 200°C.
- Παίρνουμε ένα βαθύ ταψί με ένα καπάκι ή μία γάστρα.
- Αν δεν έχετε ταψί με καπάκι ή γάστρα, μπορείτε να το καλύψετε με χαρτί ψησίματος.
- Τακτοποιήστε τις πατάτες σε ένα στρώμα.
- Ρίξτε τις σκελίδες σκόρδο ανάμεσά τους.
- Διασκορπίστε τις φέτες κρεμμυδιών από πάνω.
- Αλατοπιπερώστε και πασπαλίστε τη ρίγανη.
- Σε ένα μικρό μπολ ανακατεύουμε το νερό με τη μουστάρδα και το μέλι.
- Ρίχνουμε αυτό το μίγμα στο ταψί ακολουθούμενο από το ελαιόλαδο.
- Καλύψτε το ταψί και αφήστε να μαγειρευτούν για 1 έως 1 ½ ώρες.
- Εν τω μεταξύ βγάλτε το χοιρινό από το ψυγείο για να έρθει σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου.
- Ανοίξτε το καπάκι και ελέγξτε το νερό.
- Εάν δείτε ότι απορροφήθηκε προσθέστε άλλο ένα φλυτζάνι.
- Τακτοποιήστε τα κομμάτια χοιρινού κρέατος στο ταψί και ρίξτε και τη μαρινάδα τους.
- Ψήστε για άλλη μία ώρα ή μέχρι το χοιρινό και πατάτες να έχουν αποκτήσει ένα ωραίο βαθύ χρυσό χρώμα.
- Αφαιρέστε, αφήστε το να ξεκουραστεί για πέντε λεπτά και σερβίρετε.
