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 the excess of 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, and that may be the most convenient way to get the juice.
The bottles are usually found in 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 the 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 types of 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!
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork shoulder or Picnic Shoulder. Cut in 5cm – 8cm (2″ – 3″)
- ½ cup sour orange juice
- ½ cup lime juice fresh, about 2-3 limes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- ½ tablespoon thyme leaves only
- 2 stalks scallions chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper optional
Instructions
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Remove juice from limes and put aside. Do not throw away the limes juices.
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In a bowl add meat and rub lime pieces on each meat pieces to clean. Rinse with cold water and put aside.
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In a separate dish add all remaining ingredients except oil and stir. Make sure you do not break the hot pepper.
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Add meat in a bag or bowl with all spices and let marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Marinate for a longer period of time for more flavor enhancement.
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Add meat and marinade into a heavy pan or pot and boil on low to medium high heat covered for about 30 – 45 minutes until meat is tender. Remove meat from pot and fry in batches in hot oil. Remove from oil and place on plate covered with paper towel to remove any excess oil.
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If roasting in oven, prepare a baking dish and add the meat pieces. Do not overcrowd meat. Preheat oven 375°F degree and roast meat until golden brown, about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove and serve hot with Pikliz or Sauce ti-malice.
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