The Seriously Underrated Pork Dish José Andrés Adores

Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee José Andrés is known for sophisticated and artistic dishes, many of which are modern, high-end takes on regional recipes from his native Spain. However, chef Andrés also draws inspiration from the most beloved and humble dishes he tries while traveling. After one of his trips — this time to Haiti – chef Andrés championed one of the country's national dishes, a marinated and fried pork recipe known as pork griot.

This pork dish is as comforting as most deep-fried soul-food recipes, but it's far from simple, requiring two cooking methods and two different flavorful marinades. First, bite-sized cubes of pork shoulder receive a zesty citrus marinade in lime juice and salt to tenderize and infuse the savory pork with a bright and zesty tang. Then the pork pieces undergo a second, longer marinade in a classic Haitian herb and aromatic blend called epis, along with Caribbean favorites like Maggi meat seasonings and the super fiery scotch bonnet pepper. The pork is first braised in the marinating liquid, then deep fried for that decadent crunchy exterior bursting with spicy, tangy, and savory flavors.

It's easy to see how this complex dish with a decadent textural contrast and a complex palate of savory herbs, spicy aromatics, and tangy citrus is both a national treasure and the subject of chef Andrés' admiration.

As with many culinary cultures in the Caribbean, pork griot descends from West African traditions. Haiti is predominantly Afro-Caribbean, with the majority of the population arriving to its shores via the West African slave trade. The term griot (pronouned gree-oh) is a French derivative that refers to a community historian, considered to have high social status, who is depended on for upholding and documenting the history of African culture through storytelling and song. Griots were as respected in Haiti as they were in West Africa, and so a special and intricate pork dish was named for them. 

Citrus marinades are common in West Africa, while the herbal and aromatic marinade known as epis is a blend of African and Native American traditions. Epis is yet another version of the more well-known aromatic blend called sofrito, which is popular in Puerto Rico and other Latin Caribbean countries.

Once a special occasion dish, pork griot is now a mainstay at family gatherings, parties, and restaurants. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer or, more popularly, as a main course served with tangly pickled veggie relish called pikliz, plus fried smashed plantains you might know as tostones, plus red beans and rice.