In the Kitchen with….
Francisco Enriquez aka Pancho
Agave Bar & Grill
Let me start out by stating this is the first interview I have ever done
mostly via an interpreter. Luis was our voice box and so if anything is
wrong in this article, stop by Agave and tell Luis he did not miss his
calling. Make sure you do this while drinking a margarita though. Now!
Let’s get to the kitchen! Pancho is the man and he is an amazing cook!
I have got the most phenomenal recipe from him to share with y’all and
you will never go anywhere else for it! But, first things first...
Pancho was born in Michoacán, Mexico, the third child out of a family of
22 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JUNE 2020
By Alaina Loughridge Photo by Luis Gomez
six. He would always cook for the family and he learned his formidable
skills from his mother. When he moved to Statesboro, he started out as
a dishwasher. When his cousins asked him to come to Whitemarsh to
work at Jalapeno’s, he was on his way. He was immediately put behind
the line where he belongs: Cooking! He met Abraham, owner of Agave
in 2010 and an immediate friendship began. When Abraham opened
Agave on Tybee, Pancho was front and center! Moving to Thunderbolt
around the same time, Pancho met and fell in love with his now wife,
Lariza, and they have since welcomed a beautiful daughter, Jasmine.
Life is Bueno.
I know y’all are anxious for the recipe, but I had to ask Pancho the
Questions of Life!
Tybee Life: 10 years
Passion: Family!!!! Always!
Grow Up: Have a restaurant of his own and support his family
Spirit Animal: A Lion. One does not mess with a lion and his pride!
Super Power: Treats people right.
Now, the magic recipe of Pancho’s: Pork Carnitas
1 whole pig
1 cooking cloth
Firewood (or stove top)
5 to 10 pounds of lard
3 Onions
5 – 6 Garlic Cloves
Pepper – Season to taste
1/3 cup Black Clove Spice
2 Bohemian Beers – Any dark Mexican beer
1 cup orange juice
1 cup Coca Cola
½ cup gold tequila
2 cups kosher salt
• Take your pig, skin it and chunk it up. Put it in a gigantic pot over
firewood (or stove top) and add your lard.
• In a cooking cloth, add onions, garlic, pepper and cloves. Throw the
whole cloth into the pot and let it all percolate for about 1.5 hours. Add
beers, Orange Juice, Coca Cola and tequila and finish up by adding
kosher salt. Let simmer for an additional 2 hours. Should be a nice
golden color by the time all is said and done.
• Serve with rice and beans surrounded by family and friends!
This all sounds fabulous, but too much work???? You can find this
masterpiece, thanks to Pancho, at Agave 7 days a week! Stop by and
make your life easier! Make sure you say ‘hola’ to Pancho!