Guyanese Pepperpot

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef chuck, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 700 g bone-in pork shoulder, cut into pieces
• 500 g cow heel or oxtail
• 250 g salted beef
• 250 ml cassareep
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 strips of orange peel
• 4 wiri wiri peppers, or 1 scotch bonnet, left whole
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• About 1.5 litres water
• Salt, to taste
• Plait bread or a dense white loaf, to serve

Before you cook

• Trim the heavy fat from the beef and pork.
• Soak all the fresh meat in cold water with the vinegar for 20 minutes, then rinse and drain.
• Soak the salted beef in cold water for 1 hour, changing the water twice.
• Blend the garlic, onion and half the thyme to a rough paste.
• Rub the paste and 80 ml of the cassareep into the beef and pork.
• Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Steps

1. Put the cow heel and drained salted beef into a large pot and cover them with water.
2. Boil for 45 minutes until the cow heel gives slightly to a fork, then drain and discard the water.
3. Tip the marinated beef and pork into a heavy stockpot set over medium heat.
4. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring, until the meat releases its liquid and that liquid cooks away.
5. Add the boiled cow heel and salted beef to the pot.
6. Pour in the remaining cassareep and sprinkle over the brown sugar.
7. Drop in the cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel and the rest of the thyme.
8. Pour in enough water to just cover the meat, about 1.5 litres.
9. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce it to the lowest possible simmer.
10. Cook uncovered for 2 hours 30 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sauce is dark, glossy and syrupy.
11. Add the whole peppers and simmer for a final 15 minutes.
12. Season with salt, then take the pot off the heat and leave it to stand overnight if you can, because pepperpot is always better on the second day.
13. Bring it back to a full boil before serving with thick slices of plait bread.