Beef Pepperpot from Quick Prep Slow Cook

Beef pepperpot
By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“Pepperpot is a meat stew, often made using beef (and sometimes other meats), although there are several different styles of making this recipe. This one is inspired by Guyanese-style pepperpot, which features meltingly tender beef, sticky sauce.” Charlotte Pike, author of Quick Prep Slow Cook

1 tablespoon sunflower or rapeseed oil

500 g (1 lb) braising or chuck steak, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes

1 onion, finely sliced

20 g (¾ oz) fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chilli or ½ Scotch bonnet chilli, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Zest of 1 orange

100 g (3½ oz) dark brown soft sugar

100 ml (3½ fl oz) dark rum

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

100 ml (3½ fl oz) water

Basmati rice, to serve

If you have a sear or braise function on the slow cooker, switch it on. Add the oil, beef, onion, ginger and chilli, then fry for a couple of minutes to start to get the dish cooking.

If your slow cooker does not have this function, it is worth taking the trouble to do this in a large frying pan on a high heat. Once the ingredients start to smell fragrant, transfer them to the slow cooker.

Add all the remaining ingredients, stir, cover with the lid, and cook on low for at least 6 hours until the meat is very tender, and the sauce is rich, thickened and dark in colour.

Serve hot, with rice.