Guyanese Pepperpot
A Guyanese stew of slowly cooked meat with cassareep, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and hot peppers.
Cassareep—a thick cassava sauce—gives pepperpot its distinctive flavor and color. This version combines beef and oxtail with spices and wiri wiri peppers. Allow about 20 minutes for preparation and 3 to 4 hours for cooking; the quantities make approximately 6 servings.
Ingredient allergens
Allergen listThere are no verified associations for these ingredients yet.
Method
- 01
Brown the meat
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches for 7–10 minutes, until browned on all sides; transfer it to a plate. Brown the oxtail in the same way and set it aside with the beef.
Ready to continue when: The pieces are browned on the surface and release easily from the pot.
20 min - 02
Build the aromatics
Add the onions, garlic, ginger, thyme, cinnamon, orange peel, salt, brown sugar, cloves, and peppers to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 7–8 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of hot water and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
Ready to continue when: The onion is golden and the browned bits have dissolved into the liquid.
8 min - 03
Add the meat and cassareep
Return the beef and oxtail to the pot. Stir in the cassareep for 4–5 minutes, coating the pieces well. Pour in the remaining 5 cups of hot water and bring the stew to a gentle boil.
Ready to continue when: The meat is coated in a dark sauce and the liquid begins to bubble gently.
5 min - 04
Simmer slowly
Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 3–4 hours, until the meat is tender. Check the stew as it cooks and keep it at a gentle simmer.
Ready to continue when: The meat is tender and separates easily when pressed with a fork.
210 min - 05
Serve
Taste the sauce and serve the pepperpot hot, with bread or rice if you like.
Ready to continue when: The stew is hot, with tender meat and a dark, thick sauce.
Ingredients
Sources and review
Content researched, cross-checked and automatically validated. Sources consulted:
- Nutrición www.aesan.gob.es/nutricion
- Oh, hey akastage-www.foodsafety.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-wedding-food-safety.pdf
- Culinary Arts Centre Archives - Ministry of Human Services and Social Security mhsss.gov.gy/category/culinary-arts-centre/
- New culinary facility expected to boost female entrepreneurs – Department of Public Information, Guyana dpi.gov.gy/new-culinary-facility-expected-to-boost-female-entrepreneurs/
- Guyanese Pepperpot - MyRecipes Is Better in the App All your recipes at your fingertips www.seriouseats.com/guyanese-pepperpot-recipe-5222656
- Pepperpot | PBS Food food-develop.console.pbs.org/recipes/pepperpot
- Guyanese-Style Pepperpot With Cassareep Recipe | olivemagazine www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/one-pots/guyanese-style-pepperpot-with-cassareep/
- Pepperpot Recipe cooking-frontend.cooking.nyti.nyt.net/recipes/1025035-pepperpot
- Guyanese Pepperpot: A savoury, spicy stew chef Devan Rajkumar says is 'magical' www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7228171
- Guyanese Pepperpot Recipe | Samsung Food App app.samsungfood.com/recipes/107d803b6d6102146999bc53081fbf1dfd1
- Pepperpot Recipe cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025035-pepperpot?emc=edit_ck_20240221&nl=cooking&te=1
- Guyanese Pepperpot: A savoury, spicy stew chef Devan Rajkumar says is 'magical' | CBC Life amp.cbc.ca/life/food/guyanese-pepperpot-devan-rajkumar-mad-love-cookbook-1.7228171
- Pepperpot recipe | SBS Food www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/pepperpot/k0picraft
- Guyanese Chicken Cook-Up Rice with Black-Eyed Peas and Basil www.thespruceeats.com/chicken-cook-up-rice-recipe-2138149
State: Published after documentary validation; no “Tested” label is shown.