Traditional delicacies that characterize the ideal Guyanese Christmas season

Dec 27, 2020 News

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It is all well and good to indulge in the most expensive bottles of champagne, the best selections of wine, cheeses, and even chocolates from the most exotic places of the world. But no Guyanese Christmas is ever complete with the dishes we have come to know and love.
Indeed, a Guyanese Christmas without that mouthwatering pepperpot, freshly baked bread, the rum infused black cake, the tantalizing ginger beer and that sumptuous garlic pork, undoubtedly lacks that ethnic flare and pizazz that pulls us together at the dinner table and cloaks us with a deep sense of appreciation for our uniqueness.
If you’re desirous of having some of these delicious meals that characterize the ideal Guyanese Christmas as part of your festivities today, here are some easy-to-follow recipes. Happy cooking!

Let’s start things off with the most sought after dish of the season, PEPPERPOT.
You will need:
• Beef cuts, although some persons opt for chicken, duck or wild meat
• 3 cow heels (not always necessary)
• 3-4 chunks of oxtail (again, not always necessary)
• 8 fl. oz. cassareep
• 5 wiri pepper (more or less, depending on how spicy you want it)
• 5 cloves
• 1 ½ chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt
• 1 cup of Demerera Gold brown sugar
• Mixed thyme (fine leaf, broad leaf)

Preparation is simple, just follow the step below:
• Thoroughly wash the meat and other meat products (cow heels and oxtail)
• Put the cow heel in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil (If you do not want to use this, move on to the next step)
• Add all your meats into the pot of boiling water, along with the mixed thyme, onion and garlic. Cover and allow to boil.
• Once the fragrance of the thyme can be smelt and the meat is cook a little, add all of the other ingredients and slow cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender or the sauce is thick.
When finished, allow to cool and serve with home-made white bread or cassava bread.

Next on our list is GARLIC PORK. However, if pork is not your fancy, you may also use beef, lamb or chicken.
You will need:
• 3 pounds of pork or your meat of choice, 1 inch thick, tender cuts
• 12 large cloves of garlic
• ½ cup of fresh thyme leaves or 2 tbsp of dried thyme
• 8- 10 wiri peppers
• 1 ½ tbsp. salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cups of white vinegar
• 2 cups of boiled water, must be at room temperature at the time of use
• 3-4 whole cloves
• 3 unpeeled cloves of garlic
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp. canola/ soya oil
Once you have all of that, you’re ready. Just follow the steps below:
• Ensure that the meat is clean by wiping with a damp cloth or paper towel.
• Using a sharp knife, cut small grooves into the meat on both sides.
• Chop and puree the garlic, thyme, and wiri peppers in a blender/ food processor, then pour this would-be seasoning rub into a small bowl.
• Using a butter knife or your fingers spread a large amount on the meat, rubbing it in to fill the small grooves.
• Apply salt and pepper to both sides, ensuring that you keep ½ tsp salt.
• If you have any leftover seasoning, use it up and rub it onto the meat slices.
• Using a wide-mouthed glass jar, layering pieces of the seasoned meat, stacking until all meat has been used up.
• Mix the vinegar and water together, then carefully pour into the jar of meat until it is covered by two inches.
• Shake the jar to distribute meat, then place thyme stems and cloves in the jar. Add three cloves of unpeeled garlic, as part of the garnish.
• Place additional sprigs of thyme on top of jar, or slide it down the sides.
• Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and seal the jar tightly.
• Store in a cool dark place (not your refrigerator), and let it sit for 3-5 days.
• After curing, drain the meat on a rack, and discard the liquid. Do not allow the seasoning to go to waste.
• In a skillet, pour 3 tbsp. Canola oil.
• Pan-fry on medium heat, until nicely browned for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Now that you’re done, just let it cool and serve with crusty bread and any cold beverage of your choice.

Now for the best part, everybody’s favourite, GUYANA BLACK CAKE!
You will need the following:

• 1 lb raisins
• 1 lb preserved carambola
• ½ lb currants
• 1 cup brown rum
• 2 lbs brown sugar
• 1 lb butter
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 1 lb flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon mixed spices
• ¼ pound mixed peel
• ¼ pound chopped nuts
• 1 tsp vanilla flavouring
Once you have all of this, you’re ready:
• Wash and dry fruits. Grind and soak with ¾ cup of rum. Store while covered in a glass jar to cure for 2 weeks or longer.
• To make the caramel: Heat 1 pound of the sugar in heavy bottom frying pan until melted. Simmer until dark brown.
• Cream the butter and 1 lb sugar together, after which you add the beaten eggs gradually.
• Continue mixing and add soaked fruits and rum and enough caramel to make it as dark as you want it.
• Add sifted flour with baking powder, mixed spice and vanilla flavouring. Mix thoroughly.
• Add peel and chopped nuts.
• Pour mixture in baking pan. Bake in slow oven at 375oF for about 1 ½ hours, or until toothpick inserted to test comes out clean.
• Soak the finished cake with more rum and allow to preserve.
Enjoy with ginger beer. The recipe for which is as follows.

GINGER BEER
You will require:
• 1 lb. of ginger
• 10 cups of water
• 2 cups of dark brown sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 5 3 x 3-inch pieces of orange peel
• 1 4-inch piece of orange peel
• Uncooked rice to help with fermentation
• Glass jars
What next:
– Grate the ginger with the fine side of any box grater.
– In a large pot, mix together all of the ingredients, except for the cinnamon and the (3×3) pieces of orange peel.
– Rapidly boil for 10 minutes.
– Remove from heat and strain.
– Using a cheese cloth, remove the ginger bits.
– Pour into a large glass jug.
– Break orange peel and cinnamon sticks into pieces; add them to the ginger beer, and bring to room temperature
– Place 12 uncooked rice grains in each glass jar; pour into glass jars and let rest.
– Ferment for 5-7 days.
– Discard cinnamon sticks and orange peel.
– Serve over crushed ice or ice cubes.
If the heat is too much for you, you can mix it with pineapple juice for hint of fruitiness and sweetness.

 

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