News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Dec. 23, 2022: This week, as we count down to the holidays, we bring you the Caribbean Christmas dish that is unique to Guyana. Here’s the recipe for Guyanese pepper pot, not to be confused with Pepper Pot soup or stew in other Caribbean islands. The special ingredient in this dish is Casareep, an Amerindian or Indigenous People creation made from Cassava or Yuca.
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs. of beef
1-pound cow heel or cow foot, bought at the Spanish store in the US
1⁄2 lb. pig’s tail that can be bought at a Korean store in the US, UK or Canada (optional)
1 cup cassareep from a bottle that can be bought at a West Indian store in the US, UK or Canada.
4-5 cinnamon sticks, whole
6-8 cloves
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
1-ounce sugar
2 stalks basil
1 bunch fine fresh thyme
1 large chopped onion
3 chopped garlic cloves
Salt to taste
16 cups water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak pig tails in water to get off salt.
- Wash cow heel with vinegar and rum.
- Cut beef into chunks and wash with vinegar and rum.
- Season meat with fine leaf thyme.
- Add pig tails and cow heel into a pressure cooker and let it run off all water.
- Then add water to cover meat and pressure until tender, around 30 minutes.
- Add beef to another pot and let it let it run off all water.
- Remove pressure and turn on tap until steam release.
- Open and ensure cow heel and pig tails are half tender then remove from water and add in beef.
- Add cassareep and ensure all of the meat are coated.
- Add all other ingredients and boil for about one hour on medium heat until meat is tender.
- Adjust flavor with salt and sugar.
- Pepperpot is popularly served with a firm bread like the Jamaican hard dough bread.
Note: This dish develops flavor when left over a period of days. If left unrefrigerated, it must be reheated to a boil every day.
