Destination
Cuenca
The story
Fritada is one of the great pork dishes of Sierra Ecuador: chunks of pork shoulder braised slowly in a shallow pan with water, orange juice, garlic, onion, cumin and achiote until the liquid evaporates completely, at which point the meat starts frying in its own rendered fat, turning deep gold and crackly at the edges. Served on a wide wooden board with mote (cooked hominy corn), boiled potato, half an avocado, a scoop of maduro (fried sweet plantain), tostado (toasted corn) and a spoon of curtido or agrio. A full Sunday plate.
Method
Place the pork cubes in a wide heavy pan (Dutch oven or braising pan). Add the onion, garlic, spring onions, orange juice, water, salt, cumin, achiote, pepper and bay leaves. The water should barely cover the pork; add a splash more if not.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low, cover partially with a lid, and cook 60 to 70 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
As the liquid disappears, the pork will start to sizzle in its own rendered fat. This is the moment. Remove the lid entirely, discard the bay leaves and the softened onion (or leave in for texture; up to you), and let the pork continue cooking in the fat.
Cook another 20 to 30 minutes over medium-low heat, turning the pork cubes gently every 5 minutes, until each piece is deep golden and crackly at the edges but still tender inside.
While the pork finishes, warm the mote, fry the plantain slices, halve the avocados and warm the potatoes.
Serve on a large wooden board or wide platter. Pile the pork in the centre, with the mote, potatoes, plantains, avocado and tostado arranged around it. Spoon over any pan juices. Put a small bowl of curtido and a jar of ají on the table for people to help themselves.
Tips
- Pork shoulder with fat, not lean cuts. The whole technique relies on the pork rendering its own fat during the braise. Lean tenderloin gives you dry, sad fritada.
- One-pan, single-medium cooking. Don't move the meat to a different pan for the frying stage. The transition from braise to fry should happen in the same pan as the water evaporates.
- Don't stir aggressively during the fry stage. Turn the cubes gently every 5 minutes with tongs or a spatula. Rough stirring breaks the pork into shreds; you want intact golden cubes.
- All the accompaniments are non-negotiable. Fritada is a plate, not just meat. Mote, potato, plantain, avocado and toasted corn are what turn the pork into a proper Ecuadorian meal.
- Curtido de cebolla is the essential acid. Lime-pickled red onion cuts the richness of the pork; without it, the plate feels one-note.
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