One of the traditional meals once enjoyed by Barbadians at Christmas time was the meat lovers’ dish pepperpot.
This recipe was taken from the book CARMETA FRASER: HER LIFE; HER RECIPES.
Ingredients
4 pounds loin pork
1 year old chicken or duck
2 pounds pigtail
Other tough meats
1/2 pint casareep**
2 cow heels
2 ounces tails.
2 pounds salt beef
Pork dripping or margarine for frying.
Seasonings
Eschalot, thyme, sprigs of parsley, sprigs of marjoram (minced), ground clove, salt and pepper to taste, 8 peppercorns (seed black pepper), 4 large and 6 small hot peppers tied in a piece of muslin.
METHOD
Clean all meats. Cut up the oxtails, pigtails, heels, salt beef or pork. Cover with water and boil until tender in a strong saucepan or iron pot. Cut pork, chicken or duck. Season with minced seasonings and fry until brown in hot fat.
Add the ox tails and heels. Put all this with stock and add casareep, two tablespoons brown sugar, slice onions and pepper in muslin bag. Simmer until the meat leaves the bone.
More boiling water and casareep may be added with more sauce is needed, and more meat can be seasoned, fried and added. Boil the pepperpot daily. Keep covered, it will last for weeks.
** The casareep is an essential ingredient as it is what allows the pepperpot to last as long as it does.
This article was first published on December 22, 1996.
