How to make Haitian Griot or Fried Pork Chunks

Haitian Griot (Pork Bits) is one of the main dishes served in every Haitian household. Griot is served at every event (casual or formal) and is a favorite dish among the old and young generations. There is always someone asking for Griot at an event. And when you hear the request, you cannot help yourself by saying, “again! but you eat it at home!!!” It never fails.

What is griot?

A Griot dish consists of pieces of pork that have been marinated, boiled, and fried in oil or roasted in the oven. Many people are roasting the pork pieces instead of frying the meat. This process eliminates excess fat and will help you avoid any kitchen accident, more importantly for health reasons.

I prefer roasting my meat instead of frying for health reason. And let’s face it, it is much easier to bake or roast than frying meat. It is better for you as well, and frying meat required a lot more cleaning when finished.

Key ingredients are required to make a good Griot

The key to having a tasty Griot is the correct amount of lime juice and sour orange juice. The problem that may present with sour orange juice is freshness. Fresh bitter orange may be difficult to find depending on where you live. Sour orange juice is sold in bottles in many food stores, which may be the most convenient way to get the juice.

The bottles are usually found in the International/Caribbean/Spanish section of supermarkets. As they are readily available, make sure you buy a trusted brand. When purchasing the product, ensure that the sour orange juice taste “sour” and not semi-sweet. Lime juice is a good substitute if sour orange juice is not available. The key is to add the correct amount so the pork is not too acidic.

Nowadays, ready-mix dried and wet spices have made it easy to cook meat and other dishes. To obtain a more authentic taste, fresh spices are best to use. The right spice blend and the right acidic amount will make your Griot taste finger-licking good.

Have you tried this?

I also use Noubess Hot and Spicy Herbs Sauce to create that delicious and unexpected flavor. Griot is prepared with pork shoulder or shoulder picnic pork which is usually sold whole and not sliced. I would recommend having your butcher cut the meat before leaving the meat market to avoid having a fighting match with your meat. LOL.

Always remember to wash your meat before cooking to avoid cross-contamination.

Haitian Griot is served with Pikliz or Sauce Ti Malice, and now with Noubess Hot and Spicy Herbs Sauce.

Enjoy!