Haitian Griot with Fiery Pikliz

⏱ 150 min · Serves 6

Pork shoulder marinated in sour orange, garlic and Scotch bonnet, braised until tender then fried to sticky, crackling-edged perfection. The pickled cabbage pikliz cuts through it all with vinegary heat — this is Haiti's greatest party plate.

Per serving: 565 kcal · 42.0g protein · 13.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg pork shoulder, cut into 4cm cubes (some fat left on)
• Juice of 3 limes plus juice of 2 oranges (or 200ml sour orange juice)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, stem removed (deseed for less heat)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 500ml water or chicken stock
• 500ml neutral oil, for frying
• For the pikliz:
• 400g white cabbage, very finely shredded
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Scotch bonnet chillies, thinly sliced
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 400ml white vinegar

Method

1. Make the pikliz first: toss cabbage, carrot, onion, chillies, cloves, peppercorns, salt and lime juice in a bowl, then pack tightly into a large clean jar. Pour over the vinegar to cover, seal and refrigerate at least 24 hours (or 2 hours in a pinch; it keeps a month).
2. Rub the pork cubes with the lime and orange juice and a little salt, rinsing and massaging well, then drain — this is the traditional 'washing' of the meat.
3. Blitz onion, garlic, spring onions, Scotch bonnet, thyme, salt, pepper, tomato paste and vinegar to a rough paste. Mix through the pork and marinate at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
4. Tip pork and all marinade into a wide pot, add the water or stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 60–75 minutes until fork-tender.
5. Uncover and boil hard until the liquid reduces to a thick glaze, about 15 minutes. Lift the pork out onto a tray; reserve the glaze. Pat the cubes dry.
6. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 180°C. Fry the pork in batches for 3–4 minutes until deeply browned and crisp at the edges. Drain on a rack.
7. Toss the hot griot with a few spoons of the reserved glaze and a squeeze of lime. Pile onto a platter with a generous mound of pikliz alongside — and fried plantain if you have it.