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Griot with pikliz
Griot ak pikliz: Haiti's citrus-marinated pork, simmered then fried crisp, with fiery pickled slaw
Griot is Haiti's party food: it is piled on platters at weddings, first communions and Saturday-night fritay stalls in Port-au-Prince, always with pikliz, a crunchy, very hot pickle of cabbage, carrot and Scotch bonnet. Chunks of pork shoulder soak up a green epis marinade of sour orange, herbs and garlic, simmer until tender and then fry until the outside turns dark and crisp. This is a pork dish. Serve it with fried plantain (bannann peze) and rice with beans. The mistake that ruins the crust is frying the pork straight from the pot while still wet; it spits and steams instead of browning, so drain and dry the pieces first. Chef's tip: make the pikliz at least a day ahead; after a night in the fridge the heat softens and spreads through the vinegar.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pikliz
For the epis marinade
For the pork
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Make the pikliz a day ahead if you can. Pack 9 oz white cabbage, 1 carrot, 1 shallot, 2 Scotch bonnet chillies, 6 black peppercorns and 3 whole cloves into a clean 1 litre jar and add 1 tsp salt. Pour in 1 ¼ cups white vinegar and 2 tbsp lime juice until everything is covered. Close and keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Use a clean spoon and it keeps for 2 weeks; wear gloves when slicing the chillies.
Step 2: Rub 2 ⅝ lb boneless pork shoulder all over with the cut 1 lime and squeeze the juice over; Haitian cooks clean meat this way. Don't rinse raw pork under the tap, as splashes spread bacteria round the sink.
Step 3: Blend 4 spring onions, 6 cloves garlic, ½ oz fresh parsley, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, ½ green pepper, 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, ½ cup sour orange juice, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper to a rough green paste. Mix it with the pork, cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Wash your hands and board after handling raw pork.
Step 4: Put the pork and all the marinade in a heavy pot with 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 60 minutes, until a chunk is tender when pressed with a fork.
60 minStep 5: Take off the lid, turn the heat to medium and let the liquid bubble away for 10–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until only a few spoonfuls of thick sauce cling to the meat. Pork simmered this long is well over the safe 160°F.
15 minStep 6: Lift out the pork and spread it on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Pat it dry and let it steam off for 5 minutes. Keep any sauce left in the pot to spoon over at the end.
5 minStep 7: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 350°F, about 2 cm deep. Fry the pork in two batches for 5–7 minutes, turning, until dark golden and crisp at the edges. Stand back: a little spitting is normal.
14 minStep 8: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a heap of pikliz and a spoon of its vinegar over the meat. Keep leftover griot in the fridge for 3 days and re-crisp in a hot oven until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does griot with pikliz take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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