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Guyanese Pepperpot Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 758 reviews

Guyanese Pepperpot is a rich, flavorful, and traditional stew known for its deep, spicy, and aromatic profile. This beloved Caribbean dish features tender cuts of beef and oxtail slow-cooked with cassareep—a special syrup made from cassava juice—along with fragrant spices like cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and the fiery wiri wiri peppers. Perfect for festive occasions or hearty family meals, Pepperpot delivers a unique savory-sweet taste with a hint of heat that highlights Guyanese culinary heritage.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat

  • 2 pounds (900g) cow foot, cut into roughly 1- by 2-inch pieces
  • 1 pound (450g) oxtail with separated joints
  • 1 pound (450g) bone-in beef chuck, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces

Seasonings and Spices

  • 2 teaspoons (8g) kosher salt, divided
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon, divided
  • 21 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
  • 24 whole cloves, divided
  • 3 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each), divided

Additional Flavorings

  • 1 1/4 cups (420ml) cassareep, divided
  • 6 medium cloves garlic (about 25g), finely minced
  • 4 fresh wiri wiri peppers
  • 2 tablespoons (24g) light brown sugar
  • One 2 1/2–inch knob fresh ginger (about 30g), peeled and grated
  • 1/2 of a whole nutmeg (2g), grated
  • One 1-inch strip orange peel, trimmed of excess white pith

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Meats: Rinse and pat dry the cow foot, oxtail, and beef chuck pieces. This ensures they are clean and ready for seasoning and cooking.
  2. Season the Meat: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons chicken bouillon over the meat. Rub in the seasoning thoroughly to marinate the flavors into the protein.
  3. Assemble Spices: Divide the thyme, cloves, and cinnamon sticks into two portions. Reserve half to be added initially and half later to deepen flavor layering during cooking.
  4. Combine Ingredients: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the meat along with half the thyme sprigs, half the cloves, half the cinnamon sticks, half of the cassareep, minced garlic, grated ginger, grated nutmeg, orange peel, wiri wiri peppers, and light brown sugar.
  5. Add Liquids and Simmer: Pour enough water into the pot to just cover the meat mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
  6. Slow Cook: Cover the pot and allow the Pepperpot to simmer gently for approximately 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. During the last hour, add the remaining half of the cassareep, thyme, cloves, cinnamon sticks, kosher salt, and chicken bouillon to intensify the flavor.
  7. Check for Tenderness: The meat, especially the cow foot and oxtail, should become very tender and the broth thickened with a dark, rich color due to the cassareep and spices.
  8. Adjust Seasonings and Serve: Taste the Pepperpot and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove the orange peel and any large spice stems before serving. Traditionally, Pepperpot is eaten with dense bread like Guyanese plait bread or rice to enjoy the flavorful sauce.

Notes

  • Cow foot is essential in Pepperpot for its gelatinous texture which thickens the stew; substitute with oxtail if unavailable but note the texture difference.
  • Wiri wiri peppers are very hot; adjust the quantity according to your preferred heat level or substitute with Scotch bonnet peppers cautiously.
  • Cassareep is a unique ingredient made from boiled cassava juice and provides the characteristic flavor and color; it can be found in Caribbean or specialty food stores.
  • This dish improves in flavor when reheated the next day as the spices and meat meld further.
  • For easier preparation, the meat can be soaked in salted water for a few hours to clean before cooking.

Keywords: Guyanese Pepperpot, Caribbean stew, oxtail stew, cassareep recipe, traditional Guyanese food, spicy beef stew, holiday stew

Find it online: https://mjrecipe.com/guyanese-pepperpot-recipe/