Lalo Haitian Food
Lalo is the Haitian name for “jute leaves.” These are very nutritious leaves that contain lots of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The Latibonit people of Haiti love Lalo-based meals. It is actually their signature Haitian cuisine. However, people from other departments in Haiti love to prepare and eat Lalo as well. They might make it a bit differently, but the basic ingredients are still the same. When you prepare Lalo at home, you should try to order your jute leaves directly from a Haitian supplier or Asian marketplace. They provide the most authentic jute leaves that taste like the real leaves you would have in Haiti. The name on the packaging might state something like “Molokhia” or “Frozen Green Molokhia.” It is the same thing as Lalo, so lookout for that.
Ingredients
- 0.6 lbs of Smoked Pork
- 0.6 lbs of Stew Beef
- 2-4 Blue Crabs
- 5 Cups of Dried Lalo (finely chopped)
- 1 Pack (6 oz.) Fresh Spinach (finely chopped)
- 1 ⅓ Cups Oil
- 1 tbsp of Cooking Margarine
- ½ tsp of Salt
- 1 Bouillon Cube
- 3 Sprigs of Thyme
- 1 Hot Pepper
- ½ tsp of Sea Salt
- ½ tsp of Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp of Onion Powder
- ½ tsp of Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp of Blended Herbs (salt free)
- ½ tsp of Clove Powder
- 2 tbsp of Sour Orange Juice
- 1 tbsp of Lime Juice
Instructions
- Grab a large bowl and fill it up with water. Place the dried jute leaves(lalo) into the bowl and let them soak in it overnight. Drain the water out of the bowl by using a strainer in the sink. Dump the leaves into a new bowl.
- Remove the fat from the beef and pork. Prepare to clean the two meats by rubbing the halves of the lime over them. Remember that this is how Haitians clean their meats. Rinse them off with cold water after you’ve cleaned them with the lime.
- Now you must clean the blue crabs. You can start by taking off the backs of the crabs, followed by the removal of their mouths, guts, and gills. If you see any dirt on the crabs, scrape it off completely. After you’ve done that, you can proceed to clean the crabs by rubbing the halves of the lime over them. Rinse the crabs with cold water when you’re done.
- Grab a medium bowl and put it on the counter. Put the beef, pork, and crab meats into the bowl. Add the sour orange juice, lime, dried spices and epis to the bowl. Stir all the ingredients together. Leave the bowl alone for at least 60 minutes or more.
- Put a cooking pot on the stove and turn the temperature to medium high. Pour roughly 50% of the cooking oil into the pot. Place the beef and pork into the pot and fry the meat for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Reduce the heat on the stove. Add the jute leaves and chopped spinach to the pot, along with 1.5 cups of water. Put the lid on the pot and leave it alone for 60 minutes.
- Put the thyme, crab and hot pepper in the pot. Cook it all together for45 minutes. Once it is done, take the cover off the pot. Stir all of the ingredients together. Add the other 50% of the oil and the margarine, bouillon cube and salt to the pot. Mix them all together.
- Put the lid on the pot. Let it cook for 25 minutes. It should be done by this point. If you want some good side dishes with it, go with the black bean puree and white rice.
Video
Notes
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