Fritada - Ecuadorian Pork

     Welcome to this month's Eat the World Recipe Challenge! This month we are traveling via the kitchen to Ecuador. This challenge had a lot of delicious options. So delicious I couldn't decide which to make so I went with more than one. 

     This week started with llapingachoes, potatoes that are mixed with fried onions and stuffed with cheese and then fried to perfection. Those are topped with a delicious and bright curtido, and tomato and onion salad that pairs beautifully with the rich potatoes cakes. Then to round it all out we had Come y Bebe, which is like a fruit punch and fruit salad all at once. The textures of the different fruits in the orange juice were amazing. The crunchy watermelon with the soft banana and the smooth mango and papaya was a real treat. 

     Today, I went with fritada because pork is my absolute favorite. Esp when it's got a lot of big flavors added and is then caramelized. Caramelized pork is the best. 

     The pork for this recipe is slow-cooked, breaking down the fat. Once the pork and all the delicious spices have simmered long and slow, the pork is super tender and then all that rendered fat is left in the pan. The pork is cooked in the fat and it sizzles and browns and caramelizes, giving this pork an amazing sticky finish that is delightful. 

Check out all the wonderful Ecuadorian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

• Magical Ingredients: Tortillas de Verde 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Fritada de Chancho 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Come y Bebe (Ecuadorian Fruit Salad)
• Kitchen Frau: Pescado Encocado (Fish in Coconut Sauce)
• Sugarlovespices: Ecuadorian beef skewers & potato pancakes

Ecuadorian Prok Fritada Recipe

3 - 4 lb. boneless pork ribs

1 tsp. cumin seeds

15 cloves garlic

1 yellow onion, cut into quarters

1 red onion, cut into quarters

3 c. water

1 c. orange juice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

    Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and black peppercorns and toast just until fragrant, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mortar and pestle, blender, or food processor. 

    Add the pork to a large soup pot and add the toasted cumin, 10 cloves of garlic, minced, the onion quarters, salt, and water. Add just enough water to cover the pork. Simmer for 2-3 hours over medium heat or until the pork is tender, fat is released, and the liquid is reduced.

    Add the orange juice and remaining garlic cloves, whole, to the pot. Simmer until the orange juice is reduced and the pork has a chance to fry a bit in the fat that was rendered during the boiling process. 

    Remove from the pan and serve with potatoes and salad

Check out these Previous Eat the World Recipe Contributions that include Pork

• Japan - Ginger Pork Stir Fry
• Reunion Island - Sausage Rougail and Zembrocal Rice
• Guyana - Garlic Pork
• Luxembourg - Bouneschlupp Green Bean Soup
• Laos - Kua Mee
• Colombia - Bandeja Paisa
• Bulgaria - Sausage Stew
• Finland - Vispipuuro
• France - Choucroute Garnie
• Kenya - Nyama Choma