Pepperpot
Updated Jan. 29, 2024
- Total Time
- About 4½ hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- About 4¼ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1bunch thyme, stems removed
- 1bunch basil, leaves and tender stems
- ½bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems
- 10 to 12scallions, chopped
- 1head garlic, peeled
- 1large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 to 4wiri wiri peppers or 1 whole Scotch bonnet
- 4pounds bone-in stew meat (oxtail, beef chuck, goat or mutton), cut into 3-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 to 3tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, chopped, plus more to taste
- 1large onion, chopped
- 6garlic cloves, chopped
- 1cup cassareep
- ¼(lightly packed) cup brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1tablespoon whole cloves
- 3medium cinnamon sticks
- Peel from 1 medium orange
- 4scallions, cut into 4-inch lengths
- 1bay leaf
- 2tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
- Bread, roti and rice, for serving
For the Green Seasoning
For the Pepperpot
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the green seasoning: Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend, adding water a few tablespoons at a time, until you get a thick purée. (You’ll have 3 cups. Keep any extra in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)
- Step 2
Season the meat with ¼ cup green seasoning, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Step 3
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and transfer the meat into the pot, leaving behind any excess marinade. Brown the meat in batches. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 4
Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, if necessary. Add Scotch bonnets and onion; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds.
- Step 5
Add in the cassareep, brown sugar, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, scallions and bay leaf. Add back the meat and the juices from the plate, and add water to cover the meat. Let come to a boil over high heat.
- Step 6
Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook, covered, for 2 to 2½ hours, until the meat is tender. Skim as much fat as possible from the top.
- Step 7
Remove the meat from the pot, and, once cool enough to handle, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer set in another bowl.
- Step 8
Carefully add the reserved liquid back into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Step 9
If you'd like to quickly thicken the stew, you can add cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to a cup, and mix well. Add the slurry, if using, to the pot and mix until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. (You may have to boil a bit longer to let the liquid reduce to this consistency.) Taste and readjust your seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the meat back to the pot. (Alternatively, you can skip the cornstarch and make the soup up to 3 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.)
- Step 10
Serve with bread, roti or rice.
Private Notes
Comments
Pepperpot (from Guyana!) is a derivative of an Amerindian dish. Cassareep was used to preserve a stew of mixed meat that was made, served and added to over many days. No green herbs or onions, these make pepperpot go bad when not refrigerated. In my mother's kitchen, not Amerindian, pepperpot was made a day or two before Christmas, so it could be aged to perfection by Christmas morning. To prevent spoilage, pepperpot is brought to a boil at least twice/day. Oxtail, not cornstarch, for thickener!
There is no true substitute for the casareep, which is stated in the recipe. This dish is meant to preserve meats for days on the stove top. Please do your research before adding subs and comments on your own subs. If you want to create your own recipe, that is lovely - but comments on the original recipe are appreciated.
The head of garlic. Just like that into the food processor? Or peeled. More info please.
Maybe it was the cassareep I procured but this was wayy too bitter. Had to add more brown sugar than I would have liked. I love pepperpot but this was too much effort for an ok version.
This seems to be a quick pepperpot recipe, unlike the one I grew up with which took 4 days. Cook on day 1 and for the next 3 days just bring it to a simmer for 30 minutes. No marinade needed. You can brown the meat with a few cloves of crushed garlic, one chopped onion, + 20 sprigs of fresh thyme. Once the meat is browned, you can follow the recipe as you see fit. I do not recommend cornstarch. Also, refrigerate overnight before serving for easy removal of the fat.
This is the traditional way to make ox tails, it's great over rice!
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