Pepperpot

Content… What Is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Notes What Is Cassareep? Where to Find Cassareep? More Flavorful African-Influenced Recipes to Try Watch How to Make It

What Is Pepperpot?

Pepperpot is Guyana’s popular national dish, traditionally served on Christmas morning. The Amerindian recipe is a tribute to ingenuity when refrigeration wasn’t available. Slow-cooking meat in a special flavorful sauce always makes it a hit not just for the Guyanese but across the Caribbean.

Now people enjoy it as an everyday dish, so it’s not just for Christmas anymore. Also, please don’t confuse it with Jamaican pepperpot, which is totally different from the Guyanese version. However, both versions have one thing in common—cassareep. More on that later.

The Ingredient List

1. Meat – Oxtail, stew beef, pork, lamb are all good. Whatever you have available and your dietary restriction allows
2. Marinade – Garlic, thyme, white pepper, onion, and bouillon powder
3. Pepper Pot – Brown sugar, garlic, onion, green onions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper (or the Guyanese wiri wiri peppers), cassareep, cinnamon stick, and good ol’ salt and pepper deliver the flavor base of this traditional dish.

How to Make Pepperpot

Marinating

• Prep – Place oxtail and pork in a large bowl or ziplock bag, then add salt, garlic, thyme, white pepper, onion, and bouillon powder (if using). (Photo 1)
• Marinate – Mix the meat and the marinade with a large spoon or your hands until well coated and every inch of the meat is covered. Set aside in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight if you have time. (Photo 2)

The Pepperpot

• Caramelize Sugar – When ready to cook, shake off excess spices from the meat. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat, then add sugar and keep stirring until it caramelizes and begins turning a deep brown. Be careful not to burn it. (Photo 3)
• Sear Pork – Add the pork to the Dutch pan and sear to seal in flavors (it usually takes about 3 minutes). Remove meat from the pan and set aside on a plate. (Photo 4)
• Sear Beef – Add oxtail and brown, stirring to prevent burning, until browned. If the pot isn’t large enough, sear the meat in batches. (Photo 5)
• Season – Toss in the garlic, onions, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, then add the ½ of the cassareep and the cinnamon stick. Thoroughly mix and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. (Photos 6-8)
• Simmer – Next, add water to cover the meat, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes. (Photo 9)
• Assemble – Return the pork to the pot, add the other half of the cassareep, and add more water if needed. The water should not come above the meat. (Photo 10)
• Continue cooking for 1½-2 hours or until the beef is tender. The sauce should be thick and the beef fork tender.
• Serve – Adjust with seasonings to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve with plait bread (challah without the egg wash or brioche are suitable substitutes).

What Is Cassareep?

Pepperpot has different variations, but one thing remains constant—cassareep.

Nope. Cassareep isn’t a pirate (which sounds so cool, BTW). Cassareep is a thick brown sauce from the juice of the bitter cassava root and spices boiled together until it becomes like a thick molasses. It somehow smells like burnt sugar.

It preserves meat for days, allowing it to stay on the stovetop without going bad. Refrigerators are a relatively modern invention, so food preservation without it used to be essential.

Where Can I Find Cassareep for Pepperpot?

I know I say homemade is best, but cassareep is an exception. This uniquely flavorful ingredient requires specific cooking techniques and boatloads of patience, which is challenging at home. Authentic cassareep is available in Caribbean, West Indian, and some Asian stores.

You’ll totally rip into the meat and dive right into that rich Christmas sauce. It’s so fragrant and flavorful down to the last bite and easy to make. Now, if you’re thinking in advance about what to prepare for the holidays, I hope this pepperpot dish makes it on your list.

Recipe Notes

1. You can choose whatever meat that rocks your boat. Some people use pork alone or a combination of pork and lamb or pork and oxtails. Some even use chicken.
2. You can buy cassareep at Caribbean and West Indian stores. Amazon has it if you don’t live near ethnic grocers.
3. Skim and discard the scum and fat floating at the top of the pot during braising.
4. Pepperpot doesn’t need to be refrigerated and can be left in a large pot on the stovetop. Surprisingly, the flavor improves over time.

More Flavorful African-Influenced Recipes

1. Feijoada
2. Kedjenou Chicken
3. Okra Stew
4. Boiled Peanuts
5. Chicken Jambalaya

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”3PZKkgvq” upload-date=”2020-12-13T23:17:38.000Z” name=”Pepperpot ” description=”Pepperpot – a popular holiday meat stew in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean simmered slow and low in a dark rich gravy flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar and cassareep (brown sauce) that makes the dish get better over the time. Uniquely appetizing!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]

This blog post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video