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A plate of Haitian pork griot on a white background.

Haitian Pork Griot


  • Author: Claudy Pierre

Description

A deliciously shareable Haitian dish.


Ingredients

Scale

For the griot: 

  • 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile
  • Epis (Haitian seasoning base, see below)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup parsley + more for serving
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil, more as needed

For the epis:

  • 10 parsley sprigs
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 cups cilantro
  • 2 green bell peppers
  • 3 scallions
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 5 thyme sprigs
  • 3 garlic heads
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp vinegar

Instructions

For the griot:

  1. Quarter and chop the chiles then add epis, onion, bell pepper, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic into a heavy pot with a lid. Mix in vinegar, juices, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the pork. Cover pot and refrigerate overnight.
  2. The next day, remove from the fridge at least no more than 3 hours before cooking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On stovetop, heat on high and bring to a simmer then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  3. Remove meat from the pot with slotted spoon, allowing excess liquid to drip back into the pot. Pick any veggies and herbs off the meat, and then transfer meat to a baking sheet. Drizzle meat with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt and toss to coat. To make a sauce, strain cooking liquid through a mesh sieve to remove solids. Return sauce to pot and simmer over high heat until reduced by half, 25 to 30 minutes.

I love to deep-fry the griot, but it gets pretty messy, so here is the broil method:

  1. Fire-up the broiler and then add the meat, tossing occasionally until meat is evenly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. To serve, drizzle pork with oil, crown with sauce, and garnish with parsley and thyme. Serve with rice and a side of pikliz.

For the epis:

  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Store in mason jars and refrigerate. Great for marinating and adding life to any savory dish, and also can be used as a dipping sauce.