PProvenance
Enter
P
Caribbean

Griot

Griot (pronounced 'gree-oh') is Haiti's most beloved pork preparation and the definitive dish of Haitian celebration culture: bone-in pork shoulder marinated in sour orange (Seville orange), lime, scotch bonnet, and Haitian epis for 24 hours, then braised in its marinade until tender, drained, and deep-fried in the rendered pork fat until the exterior is crackling, golden, and crisp while the interior remains moist. The two-stage cooking — braise then fry — is the technique that makes griot exceptional: the braise tenderises and infuses the meat; the fry creates the crackling exterior that makes it irresistible. It is served with pikliz (spicy pickled cabbage) that provides the acid counterpoint to the fried pork fat.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesFour portions
Sourced0of 6 in BC
Cook
‹ Previous · Escovitch Fish|Next · Jerk Chicken ›
I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

1.5 kg
bone-in pork shoulder
cut into large bone-in pieces
Your own market
For the marinade
240 ml
sour orange (Seville orange) juice
freshly squeezed; not substituted with sweet orange
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 ml
lime juice
freshly squeezed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
120 ml
Haitian epis
herb and aromatics blend
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
scotch bonnet chilli
whole or roughly chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
To serve
200 g
pikliz
spicy Haitian pickled cabbage, prepared separately
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II

The Method

1
Combine the sour orange juice, lime juice, epis, and scotch bonnet in a non-reactive vessel large enough to hold the pork. Add the bone-in pork shoulder pieces and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the pieces at least once. The marinade is ready when the meat has taken on the colour and fragrance of the epis aromatics.
2
Transfer the pork and all of its marinade to a heavy braising vessel. Add just enough water to bring the liquid level to approximately half the depth of the meat. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to a gentle braise, covered. Cook until the pork is fully tender and the collagen has softened — the pieces should yield without resistance when pressed. Remove the pork and set aside on a tray. Strain the braising liquid and allow it to settle; skim the rendered pork fat that rises to the surface and reserve it as the frying medium. Discard or reserve the strained braising liquid separately.
3
Heat the reserved rendered pork fat — which carries the epis aromatics — in a deep, heavy vessel to frying temperature. Working in batches to avoid crowding, lower the braised pork pieces into the hot fat. This is where the dish lives or dies: fry until every surface is deep golden and crackling, turning as necessary. Pale griot, insufficiently coloured, lacks the crackling exterior that defines the preparation.
4
Remove the fried pork and rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes. The wire rack permits air circulation beneath each piece; placing the griot on a flat surface or paper would trap steam and soften the underside. The exterior should remain uniformly crisp on all surfaces before serving.
5
Plate the griot and serve immediately alongside pikliz and riz et pois rouges. The vinegar sharpness and scotch bonnet heat of the pikliz cut through the fried pork fat; it is structural to the dish, not a garnish.
From the canon — Pikliz is Haiti's essential condiment: a quick-pickled Scotch bonnet, cabbage, carrot, onion, and pepper preparation preserved in white vinegar and sometimes… Pikliz →
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Heritage-breed bone-in pork shoulder with high intramuscular fat; hand-pressed Seville orange juice from tree-ripened fruit; house-made epis ground to order from fresh herbs and aromatics; hand-made pikliz fermented 48 hours.
02
Estate — Free-range pork shoulder, bone-in; fresh Seville orange juice sourced from a specialist supplier in season; quality prepared epis from a Haitian or Caribbean grocer; fresh-made pikliz prepared the previous day.
03
Market — Standard bone-in pork shoulder from a butcher; bottled sour orange juice (check label: Seville or naranja agria only); commercially prepared epis; pikliz sourced from a Haitian restaurant or market.
04
House — Supermarket bone-in pork shoulder; bottled sour orange juice combined with a small quantity of lime to reinforce acidity; blended epis approximated from available herbs; store-bought pickled cabbage adjusted with scotch bonnet and vinegar.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Smell. After 24 hours, the raw pork carries the layered fragrance of the epis aromatics and sour orange — penetration is confirmed by scent at the cut surface.
◇Touch. At the end of the braise, the pieces yield without resistance when pressed firmly; the collagen has softened throughout.
◇Sight. The fried exterior is deep golden across all surfaces, with visible crackling texture and no pale or soft patches.
◇Touch. After resting on the wire rack, the crust remains rigid and does not flex under light finger pressure.
◇Where it lives or dies. The fry is the decisive stage: the pork must reach a deep, uniform golden colour with a crackling exterior — pale griot, however tender, is an unfinished dish.
Pillar V
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
VI

What to Pour

A cold, light lager carries sufficient carbonation to cut through the fried pork fat without competing with the scotch bonnet heat and sour orange of the marinade. Alternatively, a young, unoaked white with pronounced acidity — such as a Loire Muscadet or a Caribbean rum punch built on lime and bitters — mirrors the acid structure of the pikliz.

The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
← PreviousEscovitch FishOne standard · no exceptions