Haitian Griot

Instructions

1. Prepare the marinade
   In a large bowl, combine the sour orange juice (or orange and lime juice mixture), minced garlic, epis seasoning, thyme leaves, chopped parsley, minced scotch bonnet pepper, sliced onion, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
2. Marinate the pork
   Add the pork cubes to the marinade and mix thoroughly, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for maximum flavor penetration.
3. Cook the pork
   Transfer the marinated pork and all marinade to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the pork is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Drain and cool
   Once the pork is tender, remove it from the pot and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess liquid and cool slightly, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Prepare for frying
   Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. You want the oil hot enough to crisp the pork but not so hot that it burns.
6. Fry to perfection
   Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully add the pork cubes to the hot oil. Fry each batch for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pieces are golden brown and crispy on all sides. Be careful as the oil may splatter.
7. Drain and serve
   Remove the fried pork with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot with traditional Haitian pikliz (spicy pickled vegetables) and rice with beans.