Entree: Haiti – Griot (Fried marinated pork)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr 10 min

Additional 4 hrs

Total 4 hrs 50 min

Ingredients

- 3 lb (1.36 kg) pork shoulder, bone-in or boneless, cut into 1–1.5 in (2.5–3.8 cm) cubes (approx. usable weight 3 lb / 1.36 kg)
- 1 cup (240 ml) sour orange juice or a mix of 1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice + 1/2 cup (120 ml) lime juice
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) Epis or marinade (see below) or use the listed aromatics combined
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed (about 18 g)
- 4 scallions (green onions), chopped (about 40 g)
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped (about 120 g)
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded if desired (or 1 tsp / 5 g hot pepper flakes)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh thyme leaves or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh parsley, chopped (about 5 g)
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground black pepper
- 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup (240 ml) water or enough to partially cover pork for simmering
- 4 cups (950 ml) vegetable oil or other neutral oil for deep-frying
- Optional pikliz (quick pickled slaw):
  - 2 cups (160 g) shredded cabbage
  - 1 carrot, julienned (about 70 g)
  - 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced (about 60 g)
  - 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar
  - 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
  - 1 small Scotch bonnet, thinly sliced (optional)
  - 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) salt

Instructions

1. Combine sour orange (or orange + lime) juice, garlic, scallions, onion, Scotch bonnet, thyme, parsley, black pepper, and salt in a blender or mortar to make a coarse marinade (or mix thoroughly if using pre-made epis). Reserve 6 tbsp (90 ml) of this mixture for later if desired.
2. Place pork cubes in a nonreactive bowl or zip-top bag, pour over the citrus-herb marinade, add bay leaf, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to marinate.
3. Transfer marinated pork and accumulated juices to a large heavy pot, add 1 cup (240 ml) water (enough to come about 1/3 up the meat), bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook gently until pork is tender when pierced with a fork, about 45–60 minutes. Skim any foam during cooking.
4. Remove pork from liquid and drain well on a rack or paper towels. Reserve a few tablespoons of cooking liquid to keep morsels moist if desired.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot or heavy skillet to 350°F (175°C). Fry pork in batches until exterior is deeply browned and crisp, about 4–6 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Alternative: shallow-fry in 1/2 in (12 mm) oil, turning often, until crisp.
6. While pork fries, make pikliz if using: combine shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, vinegar, lime juice, sliced Scotch bonnet, and salt; toss and let sit at least 15 minutes to pickle slightly.
7. Toss fried pork briefly with a few teaspoons of reserved cooking liquid or reserved marinade if you like extra tang, and serve immediately with pikliz, rice, plantains, or boiled yams as traditional accompaniments.