Haitian Griot

Haitian Griot: Step by Step

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1. Blend the spring onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, scotch bonnet, onion, orange juice, lime juice and salt to a coarse paste. Toss with the pork, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

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2. Put the pork and marinade in a pot with the water. Cover and simmer for 60 minutes until tender and the liquid has nearly gone.

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3. Lift out the pork cubes and wipe off the excess marinade.

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4. Heat the oil to 180°C / 355°F and fry the pork in batches for 5 minutes each until deep brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Keep an Eye on These

1. Wipe the cubes before frying to avoid spitting.
2. Use less scotch bonnet for a milder dish.
3. Serve with pikliz to cut the richness.

Changing the Recipe

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

A Little Background

Pork is cooked twice in Haitian griot: first simmered until soft, then browned in hot fat until crisp. The first stage tenderises and cooks the marinade into the meat, the second stage gives the outside its crunch, and the result is meat that is juicy inside, caramelised outside and full of citrus and spice. It is the dish served at weddings and Sunday lunches, and it always comes with pikliz.

The marinade is epis, the green seasoning blend that is the backbone of Haitian cooking: spring onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, peppers and a splash of citrus, blended to a coarse paste. Add sour orange juice, or an equal mix of orange and lime. Cut the pork into 4 cm cubes, toss with the marinade and leave for at least 4 hours. The longer the pork sits, the better the flavour. Overnight is ideal.

Transfer the pork and marinade to a pot with a little water and simmer, covered, for 60 minutes, until the liquid has nearly gone. Lift out the cubes and wipe off the excess marinade.

Fry them in oil at 180°C / 355°F for about 5 minutes, until the surface turns dark brown and crisp. Serve with pikliz, fried plantains and rice with beans.

On the Table Alongside

Pikliz · Fried plantains · Rice and beans · Lime wedges

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Caribbean Coconut Rice.

Keeping Haitian Griot

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven.

Common Questions

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (the marinade or brine is counted in full, though some is discarded). Why some recipes have none.

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