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Akabenz
Akabenzi: Kigali bar-style pork, boiled tender then fried crisp with onion and chilli
Pork is the star on Kigali's evening bar terraces, where friends share a plate of akabenzi; the name jokes that pork was once a luxury fit for a Mercedes-Benz owner. Chunks of pork shoulder or belly ribs are simmered until tender, then fried hard with onion and chilli until the fat crackles and the edges go crisp and caramelised, while the inside stays juicy. It comes with fried plantain or chips and a fiery chilli oil. The mistake is frying raw pork straight away: the outside burns before the middle cooks, so boil it first. The pork is cooked to well beyond 71 °C. Chef's tip: dry the boiled pieces thoroughly before they hit the oil, or they spit and steam instead of crisping.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb pork shoulder or pork belly ribscut into 3–4 cm pieces
- 5 cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionscut into thick slices
- 2 red chilliessliced; more if you like it hot
- 1 green peppercut into strips
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 lime (optional)in wedges
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb pork shoulder or pork belly ribs in a pot with 5 cups water, 1 tsp salt and 3 garlic cloves and bring to the boil over a high heat, skimming off the grey foam.
Step 2: Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the pork is tender when pierced with a knife and cooked right through.
35 minStep 3: Drain the pork, spread it on a tray and pat it completely dry with kitchen paper.
Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat and add the pork in one layer. Fry, turning now and then, until the pieces are deep brown and crisp at the edges and the fat has rendered out.
12 minStep 5: Push the pork to one side, add 2 onions, 2 red chillies and 1 green pepper and fry until the onions are soft and charred at the edges.
5 minStep 6: Toss everything together with ½ tsp black pepper and the rest of ½ tsp salt. Check a thick piece: it should be well past 160°F, piping hot and with no pink in the centre.
2 minStep 7: Serve hot with 1 lime wedges and fried plantain or chips.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does akabenz take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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