Haitian Pork Griot

Name: Haitian Pork Griot
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 small Scotch bonnet or habanero chile; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 small green bell pepper, diced; 1 small red bell pepper, diced; 1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley, more for serving; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste; 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper; 6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more thyme leaves for serving; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1/4 cup cane vinegar or cider vinegar; Juice of 1 orange; Juice of 1 lemon; Juice of 1/2 lime; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 3 pounds pork shoulder, not too lean, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks; 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or olive oil, more as needed; Cooked rice, for serving; Pikliz, for serving (see recipe)

Recipe from Patrick Celestin

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Haitian Pork Griot — Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Total Time: 3 hours, plus marinating
Rating: 5(1,118)
Comments: Read comments

Pork griot (pronounced gree-oh) is one of Haiti’s most loved dishes, and it’s easy to see why. Big chunks of pork shoulder are marinated in citrus and Scotch bonnet chiles, then simmered until very tender before being fried crisp and brown. This recipe departs from the traditional in that instead of frying the meat, it’s broiled. The pork still gets charred edges and bronzed surface, but broiling is easier and less messy to do. However feel free to fry if the skillet calls out to you. And do make the traditional cabbage, carrot and chile pepper pickle called pikliz (pick-lees) for serving, which gives the rich meat just the right spicy-vinegar punch. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: Haitian Griot Is a Postcard From the Caribbean

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

1small Scotch bonnet or habanero chile
1medium onion, diced
1small green bell pepper, diced
1small red bell pepper, diced
¼cup fresh chopped Italian parsley, more for serving
1tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
1tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
6sprigs fresh thyme, plus more thyme leaves for serving
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼cup cane vinegar or cider vinegar
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lime
1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3pounds pork shoulder, not too lean, cut into 1½-inch chunks
2tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or olive oil, more as needed
Cooked rice, for serving
Pikliz, for serving (see recipe)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Quarter the chile and remove the seeds and membranes. Finely chop one quarter; leave the rest in whole pieces. Handle pieces carefully, preferably while wearing gloves; they are extremely hot.
Step 2
Transfer quartered and chopped chiles to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. Add onion, bell peppers, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Stir in vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in pork. Cover pot and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3
The next day, remove from refrigerator at least 1 hour and no more than 3 hours before cooking. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place pot over high heat and bring liquid to a simmer; cover and put pot in oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, about 1½ to 2 hours.
Step 4
Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from pot, allowing all excess liquid to drip back into the pot and picking any bits of vegetables or herbs off the meat. Transfer meat to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle meat with 2 tablespoons oil and salt to taste, and toss gently to coat.
Step 5
Strain braising liquid, discarding any solids. Return sauce to pot and simmer over high heat until reduced by about half, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 6
Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Broil meat, tossing occasionally, until meat is evenly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. You want it nicely browned in spots but not so brown that it dries out.
Step 7
To serve, drizzle meat with additional oil and top with sauce, parsley and thyme leaves. Serve on a bed of rice with pikliz on the side.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,118 user ratings

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Comments

CCM7 years ago

As a native Haitian who is passionate about Haitian cuisine, allow me to say that griot is fried, not cooked in the oven.

c'est moi7 years ago

I am Haitian. My grandmother taught me how to make griot using the oven. It is magnificent that way. If you try it, you may discover something you like. Haitians, as beautiful and varied as the land we come from, have regional differences in our cuisine.

Patrick Chadd7 years ago

I made this griot exactly as directed and the accompanying pikliz - it is a PHENOMENAL dish. I used habanero peppers since scotch bonnets were not available, 4 in the pikliz and 1 in the griot. Seeded and de-ribbed as directed, the dish was not very spicy at all and I believe almost anyone could eat the dish. The pork with the pikliz was sublime and I served it over hot Japanese short-grained rice. This is a keeper for me and it would be fantastic for company,

Stacy11 months ago

Marinated for two day. My broiler was on the fritz so employed the reverse sear method instead. Really delicious, served with sautéed plantains and pikliz I already had on hand in the fridge.

vedu1 year ago

This was pretty tasty. I marinated the meat only for a few hours but cooked it in an Instant Pot on high for 45 mins for 3# of pork. It turned out tender and flavorful despite the short marinating. I agree with the commenter that it is probably better to fry the chunks post cooking than to broil as the some of the pieces dried out in the broiler. I would even dare to say skip the browning altogether and save yourself the time and having to wash a sheet pan--my family isn't fussy about looks.

vedu1 year ago

Also, used 8 cloves of garlic instead of 2 and de-fatted the sauce before reducing.

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