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Fritada
Garlic and cumin fried pork
Fritada: highland pork simmered with garlic and cumin until it fries in its own fat
Fritada is weekend food all over the Sierra, from roadside stops in Sangolquí to family lunches in Ibarra: chunks of pork shoulder simmered in water with garlic, cumin and orange juice in a wide pan until the water boils away and the meat fries in its own rendered fat, turning sticky and deep golden. It is served with mote, fried ripe plantain, potato cakes and a sharp onion curtido. The usual mistake is using a lean cut and stirring constantly; shoulder with some fat, and patience while it browns, give crisp edges and juicy centres. The pork is cooked well past 71 °C by the time it browns. Chef's tip: use a wide, heavy pan so the liquid evaporates evenly and every piece touches the bottom.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb pork shoulder with some fatcut into 5 cm chunks
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 white onionhalved
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup orange juiceor sour orange
- 2 spring onionswhole
To serve
- 14 oz cooked white hominy (mote)warmed
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 2 limesjuiced
- 1 tomatosliced
- 1 ripe plantain (optional)sliced and fried
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb pork shoulder with some fat in a wide, heavy pan in one layer. Add 3 ¼ cups water, 6 cloves garlic, 1 white onion, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp salt, ½ cup orange juice and 2 spring onions.
5 minStep 2: Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, then simmer uncovered, turning the pieces now and then, for about 60 minutes, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the pork is tender.
60 minStep 3: Lift out and discard the onion and spring onions. Keep cooking over a medium heat as the pork starts to fry in its own fat, turning only every few minutes, until every piece is a deep golden brown and crisp at the edges.
20 minStep 5: Drain the pork briefly on kitchen paper and serve with 14 oz cooked white hominy (mote), the curtido and 1 ripe plantain.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fritada take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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