Pepperpot

Pepperpot (Guyanese Christmas Beef Stew)

Guyana's national Christmas dish, an Amerindian-origin stew of beef slow-cooked with cassareep, cinnamon, cloves, and wiri-wiri hot pepper until thick, glossy, and nearly black. The cassareep — a reduction of bitter cassava — is essential for the dish's signature bittersweet depth.

Prep

30 min

Cook

240 min

Total

270 min

Serves

6 to 8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.4 kg (3 lb) beef chuck, brisket, or shin, cut into 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) chunks; a mix of lean and fatty cuts is ideal
• •2 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •30 g (¼ cup) cassareep, essential; not interchangeable with cassava flour. Bottled cassareep (e.g., Mataki) is widely available in Caribbean markets. Bitter cassava must be properly processed — commercially bottled cassareep is safe; do not attempt to make it from raw cassava at home without removing the cyanogenic glycosides first.
• •30 g (2 tbsp) neutral cooking oil
• •2 g (1 stick) cinnamon, true Ceylon or West Indian cinnamon stick
• •4 g (4 whole) cloves
• •1 g (1 tsp) dried thyme, or 2 sprigs fresh
• •2 g (2 each) bay leaves
• •10 g (2 tbsp) wiri-wiri peppers, or Scotch bonnet/habanero, minced. Traditional flavor comes from Guyanese wiri-wiri; habanero is the closest substitute.
• •8 g (2 cloves) garlic, crushed
• •100 g (1 medium) onion, roughly chopped
• •10 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar, optional; only if a sweeter edge is desired
• •500 ml (2 cups) boiling water, plus extra as needed
• •120 g (½ cup) small whole okra, optional, added in the last hour; traditional in some Guyanese households

Steps

1. 1 Pat the beef dry and season with the salt. Heat the oil in a heavy pot (a cast-iron or thick-bottomed Dutch oven works best) over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches without crowding, turning until deeply browned on all sides, about 8–10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
2. 2 Pour off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion; cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
3. 3 Return the beef and any juices to the pot along with the cinnamon stick, cloves, thyme, bay leaves, minced wiri-wiri pepper, and brown sugar (if using). Stir in the cassareep, then pour in the boiling water. The liquid should just cover the meat — add a little more boiling water if needed.
4. 4 Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover and simmer very gently for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The surface should barely tremble. The stew will gradually turn a deep mahogany as the cassareep caramelizes.
5. 5 After 2 hours, check the beef for tenderness. It should be fork-tender but not falling apart. Add the okra now if using, and continue simmering covered for another hour.
6. 6 During the final 30 minutes, uncover the pot and let the sauce reduce until it is thick, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon — almost the consistency of a thin gravy. If the sauce gets too thick before the meat is tender, splash in a little boiling water. Final doneness: beef should reach an internal temperature of at least 85°C (185°F) and shred easily with a fork.
7. 7 Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves. Taste for seasoning — pepperpot is traditionally peppery, so add more minced wiri-wiri if desired. The dish improves with time; many cooks make it 1–2 days ahead and reheat, during which the flavor deepens further.
8. 8 Serve hot with plain white rice, crusty bread, or traditional Guyanese bake or roti.