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1
Cut, Season and Rest the Meat
30 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Cut the beef and pork into large 5 cm (2 in) chunks. Rub them all over with the salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, chopped scallions, thyme leaves and sliced ginger, then leave the meat to rest for 20 minutes so the seasoning sinks in. Meanwhile chop the onion and measure out the cassareep, brown sugar and soy sauce.
Season generously now — once the cassareep goes in, the sauce is too dark and sweet to fix with salt later.
Done when: Every piece of meat is coated in the green-flecked seasoning and the onion is chopped and ready.
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2
Brown the Meat in Batches
20 Mins
Oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the meat in two batches, 4–5 minutes a side, until each piece is deeply coloured on the outside. Do not crowd the pot — the meat should sear, not steam. Lift each batch out onto a plate as it finishes.
The brown crust is flavour: those darkened edges dissolve into the sauce later and give pepperpot its depth.
Done when: The meat is browned on most sides and the bottom of the pot carries dark, sticky browned bits.
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3
Build the Pot with Cassareep
10 Mins
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Lower the heat, scatter the chopped onion into the pot and stir for 2 minutes until it softens in the fat. Return all the meat to the pot, pour in the water, cassareep, brown sugar and soy sauce, and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaf, orange peel and the whole Scotch bonnet. Stir once, then bring the pot to a full rolling boil — this step matters, because cassareep is made from bitter cassava and must always be boiled, never used raw or barely warmed.
Buy commercially made cassareep and always bring the pot to a proper boil before turning it down. Never taste raw cassava juice or unboiled cassareep — the raw extract is toxic and only thorough boiling makes it safe.
Done when: The liquid is at a full rolling boil, dark and glossy, with the spices floating through it.
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4
Simmer Low and Slow
180 Mins
Gentle simmer, 95°C (203°F)
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting that holds a lazy simmer — a bubble breaking the surface every few seconds — and put the lid on ajar so the sauce can reduce. Cook for 3 hours, stirring gently every 30 minutes and turning the meat so it cooks evenly. The meat is done when it is fork-tender, the bone wiggles loose, and the thickest pieces reach 74°C (165°F) inside. If the sauce gets too thick before the meat is tender, add a splash of hot water; if it is too thin at the end, lift the lid for the last 20 minutes.
Resist the urge to rush it with a hard boil — a fierce boil toughens the meat and clouds the sauce, while a slow simmer keeps it glossy and tender.
Done when: The meat yields to a fork, the bones loosen, the sauce coats a spoon, and the meat reads 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part.
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5
Rest, Skim and Serve
10 Mins
Serve hot, ~60°C (140°F)
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Skim any fat from the surface, fish out the cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, cloves and the whole Scotch bonnet, and taste for salt — add a pinch only if it needs it. Ladle the meat and plenty of sauce into wide bowls and bring it to the table at once with bread for dunking.
The whole Scotch bonnet has done its work by now; leave it out of the bowls unless someone at the table wants real heat.
Done when: The sauce is glossy and spoon-coating, the meat is hot through, and the spices are out of the pot.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the pepperpot steaming hot in wide bowls, with torn pieces of plait bread or cassava bread alongside for scooping up the dark, glossy gravy — the bread is half the pleasure of the dish.
Guyana
1h 35m
France
Vietnam