Guyanese Pepperpot (Pepperpot)
Overview
Guyanese pepperpot is a dark, glossy stew of beef, pork or mutton cooked slowly in cassareep, a thick black syrup made from the juice of bitter cassava. Cuts with plenty of bone and gelatine, such as cow heel, oxtail and beef shin, are simmered with cassareep, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peel, thyme, garlic, brown sugar and hot wiri wiri peppers, or Scotch bonnets when these cannot be found. After several hours the meat is very tender and the sauce is dark, rich, sweet, spicy and slightly bitter. It is eaten with plait bread or other white bread.
History
Pepperpot comes from the Amerindian peoples of Guyana, who cooked meat in cassareep, which preserves it, so a pot could be kept and reheated for days. It is one of Guyana's national dishes and is the traditional breakfast on Christmas morning, eaten with homemade bread, and also on Boxing Day. Many families keep a pot going through the whole holiday season.
Main ingredients
Beef, cow heel, oxtail, cassareep, wiri wiri peppers, cinnamon. The soup is built on cassareep broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Beef soups
Recipe
Method
- 11 h
Boil the cow heel or oxtail in water for 1 hour, skimming well.
- 2
Add the beef, cassareep, spices, orange peel, peppers, onion, garlic and thyme.
- 33 h
Add water to cover and simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours.
- 4
Add the sugar and salt and cook until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- 5
Serve with bread.
- ✓
Serve. About 4h 20m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
