PepperPot

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  Beef

The Philadelphia Pepper Pot Story - from www.kitchenproject.com
The conventional story goes that Philadelphia Pepper Pot was invented during the American Revolutionary War while George Washington and his troops were marooned at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. Both morale among the soldiers and their food supplies were low; but, Washington ordered the camp cook to prepare something special for his men. A nice story. However, Philadelphia - the City of Brotherly Love - was also for long the main base for the northern slave trade. This dish is clearly a direct descendent of the Caribbean Callaloo; itself derived from what is virtually a national dish in much of West Africa. Sometime after American independence, this fantastic soup migrated into Pennsylvania Dutch country; where it was quickly adopted and has become a mainstay in their diet.

There are almost limitless ways to improvise with this hearty and spicy soup. Here they offer three recipes: the first is a bit complex. Much simpler variants are often made and are quite tasty. This recipe also requires two days for preparation; although, most of that period is for simmering and cooling. The second recipe is also a historic one: direct from the White House. Finally, it wraps up with a traditional recipe for callaloo.

Philadelphia Pepper Pot - (12 servings)

1. Wash tripe and place in a large pot with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 6 to 7 hours; or, until the tripe is very soft.

2. Cool in the broth. Cut into very small pieces when cool enough to handle.

3. Pour broth into a container.

4. While tripe is cooking, put veal knuckle in a second pot with 2 quarts of water. Remove the marrow from the marrowbone with a knife or spoon and heat until tender. Combine with the veal knuckle and the demarrowed bone.

5. Add the soup bouquet, red pepper, allspice and cloves and cook over very low heat for about 5 hours or until very tender.

6. Cool veal in broth until meat can be handled comfortably; then, chop veal into small pieces (discard bones). Add to chopped tripe. Pour broth into a separate container and refrigerate both the meat and the two broths overnight.

7. The next day, remove and discard fat from tripe and veal broth. Combine the two broths and add the chopped tripe and veal, diced potatoes, marjoram and salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes. Add parsley, drop dumplings into the broth; and, cook as directed.

Dumplings - 6 servings (either use your favorite dumpling recipe or the following.)

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add shortening and pinch it in with your fingers until it is well distributed.

2. Gradually stir in milk with a fork - just enough to make a soft dough.

3. Drop by tablespoons into simmering soup, cover tightly, and cook 15 minutes.

Notes
The dumplings are limited to 6 servings because your kettle or pot is unlikely to accommodate more. It is crucial that the dumplings all cook together in the simmering broth. If you wish, you can make a second batch of dumplings when your serve the leftover soup.
Adapted from: The American Heritage Cookbook . New York : American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc. 1964.
 

Philadelphia Pepper Pot
Source: Hugo Ziemann and Mrs. F. L. Gillette, The White House Cook Book . New York : The Saalfield Publishing Co. 1903 (page 37).
Put two pounds of tripe and four calves feet into the soup pot and cover them with cold water; add a red pepper and boil closely until the calves feet are boiled very tender; take out the meat, skim the liquid; if there is not enough liquid, add boiling water; add half a teaspoonful of sweet marjoram, sweet basil and thyme, two sliced onions, sliced potatoes, salt. When the vegetables have boiled until almost tender, add a piece of butter rolled in flour, drop in some egg balls, and boil fifteen minutes more. Take up and serve hot.

Callaloo (8 or more servings)

1. Put the pig s foot or tail in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

2. Brown beef in oil; then add tripe and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat; and, simmer for about 1 hour. Add pig s foot or tail and continue cooking until the broth has been reduced to about 3 cups.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut tripe into small pieces. Cut meat from pig s foot. Return meats to pot.

4. Add onion, garlic, taro leaves, chili, coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add rice. Cover the pot and reduce heat. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped, sweet red pepper.

Variations
This dish is often made with seafood; especially crab. Chicken can be substituted for the tripe; but, that will radically alter the texture. Okra and numerous other vegetables are used as opportunity and taste dictate. Coconut milk is not essential: it is but one of several variations in this highly versatile soup.

from www.kitchenproject.com

Guyana's Pepper Pot - serves 8

1. Wash and clean meat thoroughly.

2. Put heel and trotters in a large Dutch oven (casserole) and cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim of fats.

3. When half-tender, add other meats, more hot water to cover, cassareep, chilies, orange peel, cinnamon stick, cloves, sugar and salt. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

4. Adjust flavor for salt and sugar. Simmer until meat is tender. Serve hot.

Note

• This dish develops more flavor when left over a period of days. It must be reheated to a boiling point each day, adding water if necessary. This is a typical Amerindian dish.

from the cook book "What's cooking in Guyana" by the Carnegie School of Home Economics.

Mom's Pepper Pot - serves 4 to 6

Cassareep [KAS-sah-reep]
Used primarily in West Indian cookery, cassareep is a bittersweet condiment made by cooking the juice of bitter CASSAVA with brown sugar and spices until it reduces to a syrup. Bottled cassareep can be found in Caribbean markets.

1. Wash and clean beef thoroughly, cut meat in large pieces and bones in edible pieces (leave marrow in the bones).

2. Put beef and bones in a large Dutch oven (casserole) and cover with enough water.

3. Add cassareep, chilies, cloves and salt. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring ever now and then.

4. Check meat, it should separate with no resistance when using a fork. If not cook a bit longer 30min., or more. Add salt if necessary. Serve hot.

In my house we serve this dish with thick slices of white bread to soak up that lovely sauce.

Note

• It is not a soup but a stew, so don't overdo the water, just enough to cover the meat.

• This stew stays out as long as you reheated it to a boiling point each day, adding water and salt if necessary.

Savory Beef Stew - serves 8

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven pot (casserole) over a medium-high heat, brown beef on all sides. Add beef bouillons, black pepper, garlic, bay leaves, minced bell pepper. Cook until fragrant and the minced bell peppers are cooked thoroughly (about 10 min.).

2. Add water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Check meat, it should separate with no resistance when using a fork. If not cook a bit longer 30min., or more. Add water if necessary. When beef is finishes the cooking liquid should have been reduce by half, if not cook a little further.

3. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and the 2 tbsp. water mix well and add to the pot, cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

4. Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add celery and onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Check for salt and serve.

Serve with French cut green beans in white rice with butter sauce and a green salad.

Sis's Shepherds Pie - serves 8

For stew:

1. In a medium size pot heat oil oven a medium fire and add minced beef, stirring constantly and separating the minced beef as much as possible.

2. Add black pepper, salt, scallions and Worcestershire sauce mix well and add in the frozen vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes and set aside.

For Mashed potatoes:

1. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water for 30-45 minutes or until very tender. Drain well.

2. While the potatoes are still hot add the margarine or butter and set aside. Let the margarine or butter melt thoroughly.

3. Add parsley or chives, pepper flakes and mash using a potato masher. Add the milk little at the time until desire consistency. Making sure that the potatoes are thoroughly mashed.

Assembly:

1. In a 10 inch baking dish, coat all sides with a little oil.

2. Add the stew and spread evenly. Carefully add the mashed potatoes and spread so potatoes reaches to all sides of the dish. Try not to make the top too flat. It looks more attractive and rustic when its uneven. Sprinkle with ground cayenne pepper.

3. Place dish on a baking sheet to catch any juices and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Serve with a green salad and fried yellow plantains.

Beef and Broccoli - serves 4

Rosemary Wrap - serves 8 to 12

Oven Method:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl mix together the cracked black pepper, salt, garlic, mustard and oil. Pat roast dry and coat all sides of the roast with the season mixture.

3. Remove rosemary from the water and shake of excess. Tuck the sprigs under all sides of the roast and secure with kitchen string. (The roast should be well wrap with the rosemary.)

4. Transfer roast to a oven proof dish and roast for 30 to 45 minutes.

5. Transfer beef to a cutting board and let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard string and rosemary sprigs before slicing.

On the Barbecue:

1. Follow recipe through steps 2 and 3.

2. Turn on all the burners to high, close the lid, and heat the grill until very hot, about 15 minutes.

3. Use a grill brush to scrape the cooking grate clean. Turn all the burners to medium and cook roast for 30 to 50 minutes turning ever 10 minutes, so it can cook an all sides.

4. Continue to step 5 and serve.

Note

See barbecue temperatures in Nuts & Bolts.

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Last modified: 08/09/06