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Haitian-Style Citrus and Herb Pork

Haitian-Style Citrus and Herb Pork

By Courtney HillJanuary 17, 2025

  • Makes
    6 - 8 servings
  • Cook Time
    3¼ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    45 minutes active
  • Rating

Considered the national dish of Haiti, griot (pronounced gree-oh, sometimes spelled griyo) marinates chunks of well-marbled pork in a boldly herbal, garlicky, citrusy blend laced with spices and fresh chilies. The meat is first slow-cooked until tender in the marinade, then fried to crisp and caramelize the surfaces. We start by oven-braising our version. Then, you can simply broil the meat, still in the pot, to create nice browning on the surface. Or you can remove the pork from the liquid and fry it in batches in a skillet, which delivers amazingly delicious browning and crisping. Either way, serve with pikliz, a bright, bracing Haitian slaw. Red beans, rice and fried plantains are other common accompaniments.

Tip

Don’t fear the Scotch bonnet (or habanero) chili. While spicy, it also features a unique fruitiness that adds flavor. Removing the seeds tames the heat. You may wish to wear food-safe gloves when handling the chili.

Ingredients
  • 1

    bunch scallions, roughly chopped

  • 4

    medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  • 2

    cups lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1

    medium green or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

  • ½ - 1

    Scotch bonnet or habanero chili, stemmed and seeded

  • 1

    teaspoon dried thyme

  • 5

    whole cloves

  • 3

    allspice berries

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 3

    pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks

  • ¼

    cup orange juice

  • ¼

    cup lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

  • 3

    cups grapeseed or other neutral oil, if frying the pork

  • Pikliz, to serve

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. In a food processor, process the scallions, garlic, parsley, bell pepper, chili, thyme, cloves, allspice, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper until finely chopped, about 1 minute.

Step 2

In a Dutch oven, stir together the pork with the seasoning paste, orange juice and lime juice. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook, without stirring, until a skewer inserted into the largest pieces of pork meets no resistance, about 2½ hours. Remove the pot from the oven.

Step 3

To broil the pork, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the broiler. Return the pot, uncovered, to the oven and broil until spottily charred and crisped on the surface, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 4

To fry the pork, set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to the rack. Using a wide, flat spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the braising liquid; reserve the liquid to serve with the pork. Fill a 12-inch skillet with the oil (it should reach a depth of about ½ inch) and heat over medium-high to 325°F. Add half of the pork and cook, occasionally turning the pieces, until browned and crisped all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the pork to the rack and fry the remaining pork in the same way.

Step 5

Serve with the braising liquid, if reserved separately, and with lime wedges and pikliz.

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