In Guyana, the night before Christmas is specially known as Christmas Eve, and that’s when Guyanese always prepare one of their main finger-licking meals, a prestigious dish that originated from our “first peoples”, the Amerindians.
This scrumptious dish is known as “pepper pot”, a unique type of stew that is made from cassareep and some type of red meat, pork or chicken. This stew is made with a handful of ingredients, and tends to taste better over time. It is served with slices of bread, and is typically enjoyed during the most popular holiday season in Guyana, commonly known as the “Christmas” holiday.
Pepper pot is not only made during the Christmas holiday, but on any special occasions throughout the year. Pepper pot is one of Guyana’s special dishes, and one that is derived by the Indigenous Peoples known as the Amerindians. It is believed that the Amerindians invented this dish as the means to preserve their meats, since, long ago, they did not have refrigeration.
The main ingredient
Cassareep is used widely in Guyana. However, Guyanese mainly use their very own cassareep made in the heart of the Pomeroon River. To make cassareep, the juice of the vegetable cassava is boiled until it is reduced and caramelised. It is the creation of the Guyanese Amerindians of their bitter cassava. The juice is boiled long and slowly to remove any poisonous elements and impurities. The result is a thick, dark-brown syrup. 
The finished product smells like burnt sugar, and has a consistency of molasses. Cassareep contains preservative agents, which is why pepper pot can be left out on the stovetop for days without spoiling, and does not need to be refrigerated.
The dark brown colour that the cassareep gives the meat might not be so appealing to the eyes, but the flavors are really quite unique. This is why cassareep is used in various ways in Guyanese cooking. The intricate flavour and the colour it adds to a dish are unmatched by anything else.
Most Guyanese, if being interviewed on their cooking, would say that some things are better off being bought, and cassareep is one of them. You can buy bottles of this stuff these days; it is available in many different sizes. A bottle would cost anywhere from about $200 to $5000, depending on the various sizes of container used.
Preparation of the meat
Prepare your choice of meat. Most persons prefer chevon, pork, beef, and sometimes chicken. Well, some Guyanese prefer the meat of the creole fowl, which is commonly known as the “yard fowl”. A few would use oxtail, cow heel or pig feet traditionally.
The meat needs to be lean, and is therefore steamed to remove all fat. Add meat to a pot with enough water to come up the sides. In this step, the meat is being “steamed” to remove any fat. After the meat has been steamed, discard the liquid in the pot. This step is preferable because most persons find the stew to have a rank taste if this step is skipped.
Additionally, the cassareep has to be added along with other ingredients of your choice, which may include blended seasonings, meat seasoning spices, clove, thyme, etc. Thirdly, add water and let the meat cook for a few hours until the liquid has been reduced by ¾. Meat should be tender.
Ingredients
• 3 lbs of meat – beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or goat
• 1 cup cassareep
• 4-5 cinnamon sticks (not ground)
• 1 ½ inch orange peel
• 6-8 cloves
• 1-2 wiri-wiri peppers
• ½- ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 16 cups water
Instructions
1. Steam the meat for about 15 minutes, so that all the fat can be removed. Once you have steamed the meat, remove any dangling pieces of fat. Discard the liquid in the pot.
2. In another large pot, add meat, cassareep, and all other ingredients. Add the water, and boil until the meat is tender and until the broth has been reduced by three-quarters, a few hours. My mom usually boils the meat until it falls off the bones, but some people like their pepper pot meat a bit more on the tough side. It’s all about preference.
3. Adjust salt to suit your taste.
4. Pepper pot is best when made a couple days ahead.
How to steam meat
1. Place meat in a pot with enough water to cover just ¼ way up the pot. Let meat simmer on low heat until the fat congeals and can be removed from each piece, about 15 minutes later. Remember, you are not cooking the meat during this step, just heating the meat enough so the fat can be removed. This allows for a lean stew.
2. Pepper pot does not need to be refrigerated, and can be stored on the stovetop. The flavour is best when made a few days ahead of intended use.
Pepper pot on Christmas morning
Pepper pot is popularly served with a dense Guyanese-style homemade or home-style bread. This is my mom’s pepper pot recipe; the best one I have tasted. Some people put onions, garlic and all sorts of other seasonings into their pepper pot. But to me, the more you add to this dish, the less it becomes pepper pot. That being said, since there is a variety of ways to make this dish, don’t let anyone tell you that your family’s recipe is wrong. If you want onions and garlic, add it. We base our tastes of the dish on the way we first enjoyed it. For me, this is how I have known pepper pot to taste, because it is the way my mother always made it. She adopted this recipe from looking at YouTube videos and how she saw other persons prepare theirs.
Happy Holidays to all of you, and enjoy your pepper pot no matter how you make it.
