Hot Pepperpot Stew

Recipe follows story

I picked up this recipe for Guyanese hot pepperpot stew when I was out in Canarsie, talking to Smally, on day two of my visit to the neighborhood.

Hot pepperpot stew is made with a hodgepodge of meats onoins, garlic, hot peppers, fresh herbs and cassereep.  Cassereep is an extract made from the root of the cassava plant and it has a molasses like consistency.  This ingredient serves as the primary source of flavor in Guyana’s national dish and it is also responsible for giving hot pepperpot stew its distinct, rich brown, almost black color. 

Not only is hot pepperpot stew Guyana’s national dish, but it is often eaten on Christmas day.  The longer this stew sits, much like any meat packed stew or gravy, the sweeter it gets.  For breakfast, hot pepperpot is enjoyed with homemade bread and for dinner it’s eaten over rice.

So, thank you - Smally - for sharing your family recipe and helping me shop for ingredients.  Last weekend, my friends and I celebrated a Guyanese Christmas with a large vat of hot pepperpot stew.

And the stew kept on giving, as I ate it for dinner all week long.

Next time you find yourself on the L train, get off at the last stop, walk over to Smally West Indian Food Market on Avenue L and tell Orin Small you’re looking for ingredients to make hot pepperpot stew - he’ll be more than happy to help you out and share more recipes if you ask. 

Hot Pepperpot Stew
makes 8-10 servings

4 cows feet (optional)
1.5 lbs each - lamb shoulder, beef oxtail, veal neck bones (or any meat on the bone of your choice)
.5 lb. pork stew meat
3 large onions (diced)
Water to cover meat
1 bottle Cassereep
8 cloves of garlic (minced)
8 wiri wiri peppers (minced)
1/3 c. dried thyme

-Place cows feet in a large stock pot
-Cover with water and place over a medium high flame, brining to a boil and cooking for 1 hour
-In a separate pot, add oil and brown lamb shoulder, oxtail, veal neck bones and pork stew meat for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Then remove meat from the pot and set aside
-Add the onions and garlic and saute for 7-8 minutes or until they are sweating
-Combine all meat in one pot with onions, and garlic, cover with water, add cassereep, thyme, wiri wiri peppers and bring to a boil
-Once boiled, lower flame and allow everything to simmer for 2.5-3 hours, or until meat is shredding, tender and falling off the bone
-Serve with Guyanese bread or rice