Ahhhh… The rich, wonderful meaty smell of pepperpot, redolent with the unique caramelised flavour of cassareep and hints of cinnamon and cloves simmered for hours on the stove. Remember trying to steal a little when mommy asked you to stir the pot? The smell and taste of Christmas in your mouth well worth the pain of a burnt tongue.
Around this time, pepperpot and black cake are two words we constantly hear and while we all know the origins of pepperpot, what we do not know is how we, as Guyanese, have come to associate the dish with our traditional Christmas celebration. But it is not Christmas without pepperpot and some fresh homemade bread.
Pepperpot is an Amerindian dish, and perhaps the most popular and widely enjoyed one. It is quite simple to make, but is packed with flavour and could be customised to suit one’s palate. The ingredients are few: essentially a mix of meats, good-quality cassareep, a handful of herbs and spices, and of course, hot peppers.
One of my favourite Guyanese food bloggers, Jehan Powell, who is based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, says her Christmas is incomplete without some freshly-made plait bread and pepperpot. She writes: “Pepperpot is the national dish of Guyana, which was originally made by the Amerindians, who used cassareep to preserve meat without using refrigeration. That’s right; this stew can sit out of the fridge as long as you heat it daily. Cassareep, which is the main component of pepperpot, is a dark syrup that is made from cassava. A variety of meats are stewed with the cassareep, hot pepper and spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, the result is a deep, dark, flavourful stew that goes well with bread.”
Throughout the Caribbean, there are different variations of this dish but none as unique as that of Guyana because most island nations would use caramelised sugar or other browning agents whereas we in Guyana cannot make pepperpot without cassareep.
Since the cassareep is the star of the dish, it is integral that you get the finest quality when preparing this. I mean there are a lot of varieties available out there, but most include caramelised sugar as their browning agent. It is the only reason they could be sold for as little as $140 per bottle. Caramelised sugar is not what we need for the best pepperpot. It is advisable that you procure your cassareep from an Amerindian community, since that is the only way of knowing for a fact that it is the real deal. Since pepperpot is a means of preserving meat, it is ideal that you prepare your pepperpot at least 24 hours before consumption so the flavours could develop, making your dish an experience.
The traditional way of serving pepperpot would be with cassava bread, but, as indicated earlier, it works fine with bread. So, this Christmas, if it is not part of your tradition, I advise that you try to make pepperpot and share it with the family. So to help the process along, I am sharing one of my favourite recipes for pepperpot, so you too can enjoy. This recipe belongs to Jehan and while everyone has their own, I find that this one works best for me.
Ingredients
• 2 lb chicken, cut into pieces
• 2 lb stew beef, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lb cow heel (feet)
• 1/2 lb salted beef, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup genuine cassava cassareep
• a few wiri wiri peppers
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1 teaspoon of salt, or salt to taste
• 3 tbsp sugar
• Lime juice or vinegar
• 4 cloves
• 2 pieces orange peel
• 1 stick cinnamon
Instructions
- Trim excess fat off meat and soak in vinegar for about 15 to 30 minutes. Puree garlic, onion, and thyme. Marinate fresh meat with marinade and 1/3 cup of cassareep.
- Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker, place salted beef and pressure for 10 minutes. Discard the water and set meat aside.
- Wash the cow heel thoroughly by soaking in vinegar for about half an hour. Rinse. Place in pressure cooker and pressure for 20 minutes or until tender. Discard water. *If the cow heel isn’t soft after 20 minutes, continue to pressure in five-minute intervals, checking for tenderness.
- In a stock pot, cook beef and chicken in marinade until all liquid evaporates. Add the cow heel, salted beef, sugar and remaining cassareep with the stick of cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and enough water to cover. If the stew is brown, add more cassareep to attain a deep, dark colour.
- Cook slowly until tender. Add pepper and salt to taste. This meal tastes better the next day, so it is best when made a day ahead. To serve this meal, warm and serve with bread or cassava bread. (Sunday Times Magazine)
