JAMAICAN PEPPER POT SOUP

Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup image

Provided by Food Network

Yield 6 large servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 pounds pig tails, scrubbed, rinsed in cold water, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound salt beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 1/2 pints water
1 pound yams, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 pound coco, peeled and chopped
4 cups ice water
12 okra, rinsed
8 ounces Indian kale, trimmed of heavy stalks and finely sliced
1 teaspoon powdered thyme
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 ounces onion, thinly sliced
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 can callaloo* or 1 pound fresh spinach, shredded
*a Jamaican green vegetable that tastes like a cross between broccoli and spinach

Steps:

In a pot large enough to hold at least 20 cups of water, add pig tails. Cook on medium heat to render fat. Pat salt beef dry with a towel. When drippings have accumulated, add salt beef to pot and saute until brown.
Once browned, add 6 1/2 pints of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the surface and clings to the sides of the pot.
After 1 hour, add the yams and coco. Add ice water to congeal fat and cause it to rise to the top. Skim off fat. Simmer for 1/2 hour more.
Add okra and kale. Add thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Add chopped onion and scallion. Cook another 1/2 hour. Add callaloo or spinach and boil for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.