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Holidays & Special Occasions

Garlic Pork

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Ingredients

  • 1.2kg (2.5 lb) pork shoulder, cut into cubes
  • 250ml (1 cup) white vinegar
  • 8 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 2 wiri wiri peppers, whole
  • 10g (2 tsp) salt
  • 5g (1 tsp) black pepper
  • 500ml (2 cups) vegetable oil, for frying

Method

  1. Combine pork, vinegar, garlic, thyme, whole peppers, salt and black pepper in a non-reactive container, ensuring the pork is fully submerged in the marinade.
  2. Cover and refrigerate, marinating for at least 3 days (traditionally up to a week), turning occasionally.
  3. When ready to cook, remove pork from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade liquid.
  4. Heat oil to 175°C (347°F) in a deep frying pan and fry pork pieces in batches for 8-10 minutes until deep golden brown and cooked through.
  5. Optionally, simmer a small amount of the reserved marinade separately and boil thoroughly for a few minutes to use as a tangy garlic sauce drizzled over the fried pork.
  6. Serve hot, traditionally with garlic pork bread and pepper sauce.

Introduction: Garlic pork, marinated pork pieces cured in vinegar, garlic and thyme before deep frying, was introduced by Portuguese-Guyanese settlers in the 19th century and became firmly woven into Guyana's Christmas breakfast tradition, often eaten alongside garlic bread and pepper sauce.

Cultural Background: Garlic pork, marinated pork pieces cured in vinegar, garlic and thyme before deep frying, was introduced by Portuguese-Guyanese settlers in the 19th century and became firmly woven into Guyana's Christmas breakfast tradition, often eaten alongside garlic bread and pepper sauce.

Tips: The long vinegar marinade is what gives garlic pork its distinctive tang and also acts as a preservative for the Christmas season. Pat the pork very dry before frying to avoid oil splatter and achieve a good golden crust.

Variations: Serve with freshly baked garlic bread rolls, a classic pairing for Christmas breakfast. Some cooks add a touch of sugar to the marinade to balance the vinegar's sharpness.

Storage: Refrigerate un-fried marinated pork in its marinade for up to 1 week (the vinegar acts as a preservative); refrigerate fried leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheating: Reheat fried pork in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 8-10 minutes to restore crispness, or pan-fry briefly.

Nutrition: Approx. 420 kcal, 28g protein, 4g carbohydrate, 32g fat per serving.

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