Bekri meze is bold and rich, and completely irresistible. Tender pork shoulder braised in red wine with peppers, tomato, garlic, and a hit of chili flakes until the sauce is thick, glossy, and deeply savory.

This is a dish that comes to the table in the same pan it was cooked in, with a stack of bread on the side and the expectation that you will use it all. It is also one of the easiest things I make, and one of the most requested whenever friends come over.

Serve Bekri meze, tapas style, with other Greek appetizers like Greek tomato fritters- tomatokeftedes, chicken thigh skewers, tzatziki chicken bowls, and homemade chicken gyros!

Close-up of bekri meze, Greek spicy pork bites braised with three peppers and red wine in a yellow Le Creuset skillet

Overview

Why you will love bekri meze

Genuinely easy – Sear, soften, deglaze, simmer. One pot, no special skills required — just patience with the initial sear.
Better the next day – Make it the night before your meze table, and it will only deepen in flavor. One less thing to cook on the day.
The sauce is the real deal– The peppers create a sweet, smoky depth you can’t get from one pepper alone.
Made for a crowd – Scales up effortlessly. Double the pork, keep everything else the same ratio, use a wider pot.
The best possible use of pork shoulder – Inexpensive, forgiving, and it becomes extraordinarily tender after an hour’s low simmer. Avoid substitutes with leaner cuts.

Ingredient notes

All you need to make Greek pork bites in a wine sauce, also called Bekri meze

Pork shoulder – The right cut for this dish — well-marbled, forgiving, and it becomes genuinely tender after a long simmer without falling apart. Don’t use pork loin or tenderloin; they dry out.

Florina pepper – The sweet, deep red pepper of northern Greece — mild, fleshy, and slightly smoky. If you can’t find them fresh, jarred roasted red peppers work well. Add them after sauteing everything else. They balance the heat of the chili flakes beautifully.

Chili flakes — Warm, spicy, and slightly smoky. Start with less and adjust as needed.

Dry red wine – Use something you’d drink — nothing expensive, but nothing unpleasant. The wine deglazes and builds the base of the sauce, so it matters.

Tomato paste + canned tomatoes – The paste goes in first for depth and color and the canned tomatoes add body. Together they create the thick, glossy sauce the dish is known for. Use good-quality canned tomatoes like San Marzano DOP, they make a difference here.

Looking for the perfect dip to go with this? I have all my favorite Greek dip recipes in one place, 8 classics worth making.

Step by step

Pork neck pieces searing in a cast iron skillet with olive oil — the first step for bekri meze

STEP 1. Sear the pork. Heat the olive oil in a wide, shallow pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork pieces in a single layer and brown for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. This is the most important step. The colour you build here is the flavour of the whole dish. Don’t rush it, and don’t move the meat until it releases naturally from the pan. Remove and set aside on a plate.

Finely chopped onions and sliced garlic softening in a cast iron pan for Greek bekri meze

STEP 2. Soften the onions and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot, sauté the onions and garlic with the chili flakes and paprika in the remaining oil for 2–3 minutes until softened and just beginning to colour. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir.

bekri-meze-peppers.jpg Green, red and Florina peppers added to onions and garlic in a cast iron skillet for bekri meze

STEP 3. Cook the peppers. Add the sliced peppers and sauté for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and take on a little colour.

Seared pork neck returned to the pan with softened peppers and onions, deglazing with red wine for bekri meze

STEP 4. Return the pork and deglaze. Add the pork back to the pot and stir everything together for 1–2 minutes. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble vigorously for 2–3 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. You’ll know it’s ready when the sharp smell of wine softens into something round and deep.

bekri-meze-tomato-paste.jpg Tomato paste stirred into pork and peppers in a cast iron pan — building the sauce for Greek bekri meze

STEP 5. Add the tomatoes and spices. Stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes and season with salt. Stir well, and bring everything to a boil.

bekri-meze-tomatoes.jpg Canned tomatoes added to bekri meze — pork neck with three peppers beginning to braise in tomato sauce

STEP 6. Slow simmer. Reduce the heat to as low as it will go, just enough to keep the liquid gently trembling. Cover partially and cook for about 1 hour, until the pork is very tender and the sauce is thick and glossy. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot, straight from the pot.

Bekri meze — Greek spicy braised pork bites with red and yellow peppers in a rich tomato sauce, served in a yellow cast iron skillet

Pro tips

Don’t crowd the pan when searing. If your pot is small, sear the pork in two batches. Crowding drops the temperature, and the meat steams instead of browning — you lose the caramelization that makes the whole dish.
Deglaze properly. When you add the wine, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. All those browned bits dissolve into the sauce, adding enormous depth.
Low and slow wins. The simmer should be barely there — just a gentle trembling on the surface. Too high and the sauce reduces too fast before the pork is tender.
Make it the day before. Bekri meze is genuinely better the next day. The pork relaxes further, the sauce deepens, and you have one less thing to do when guests arrive. Reheat gently with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Adjust the heat to your table. One teaspoon of boukovo gives a medium heat. Add more if your crowd likes it spicier, or reduce to half a teaspoon for something milder. Taste as you go.

Serving suggestions

Bekri meze belongs on a meze table with plenty of bread and cold drinks. Here is how I build the spread around it:

Thick-cut fried potatoes. The classic pairing is fries to soak up the sauce.
Crusty bread. You need something to mop the pan clean!
Feta or graviera. A cold slab alongside cuts through the richness perfectly.
Tirokafteri. The spicy feta dip adds another layer of heat and creaminess.
Tomato & cucumber salad. Something fresh and simple to balance the pork.
Cheese saganaki. If you want to make it a full meze night add saganaki.
Ouzo or tsipouro. Not optional if you drink alcohol, bekri meze is named after it. Otherwise, enjoy your favorite soft drink or fizzy water.

Storage and leftovers

Fridge: Up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container. The flavor improves by day two.
Freezer: Up to 3 months. Freeze in portions. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Gently on the hob. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened and keep the lid on.

FAQs

Bekri means drunkard in Greek, from the Turkish word for the same. The name reflects the dish’s natural home — the tsipouradiko or ouzo bar, where meze arrives without being ordered because it belongs alongside the drink. It’s a dish built for slow evenings and long tables.

Pork shoulder is ideal because of its fat marbling — it stays tender and juicy through the long simmer. Pork neck is a great substitute. Avoid lean cuts like loin or tenderloin; they tighten up and dry out during braising.

Jarred roasted red peppers are the easiest substitute, drain them well before chopping. A fresh red bell pepper works too, though it won’t have the same depth. The point is the sweetness that balances the chili, so don’t skip the red pepper entirely.

Yes. Sear the pork and cook the vegetables on the hob first as normal, then transfer everything to a slow cooker for 6–8 hours on low. The sauce may need reducing on the hob at the end to reach the right consistency.

If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute with stock, beef, chicken or vegetable.