Meat & Poultry

While salted pigtails may not sound appealing to many people, it’s a key ingredient in many dishes we would consider ‘comfort food’ in the Caribbean. Only recently are we seeing prominent chefs and restaurants trying to find ways to use the entire animal after it’s butchered. Normal thing in the Caribbean. If pork (especially pig tails) is not your thing, I’ve got versions of Pelau using chicken, beef and we’ve even played with a vegan option as well. Check the Recipe Index for those recipes.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 lbs salted pigtials (cut 1 inch pieces)
1 large carrot (diced)
3 stalks celery (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (don’t break)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 large tomato (cubed)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1- 1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 can pigeon peas (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups parboil long grain (brown) rice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
4-5 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

I’d recommend getting your butcher to cut the salted pig tails as it can very tough for your ordinary kitchen knife. I used a heavy clever. Rinse the pieces with cool water (about 1 inch) then place in a pot covered with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to a rolling boil and cook for about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and get ready to season.

To the bowl with the pre-cooked salted pigtails, add the ketchup, Caribbean Green seasoning, black pepper, tomato, onion and grated ginger. Mix well and set aside (no need to marinate).

For this step I’d recommend watching the video below. Heat a heavy pot on a high flame and go in with the vegetable oil. Add the brown sugar and stir. Please use a dry spoon. Your kitchen may go smoky so you may want to open a window and/or turn the fan on above your stove. The sugar will melt, go frothy and finally a dark amber color (do NOT let it go black – STOP immediately if it does and start over). Once you have an amber color, start adding the season pig tails (carefully).

Stir well to evenly coat with that lovely color. Turn, cover the pot and cook for about 4-5 minutes (please stir a couple times). If any liquid formed, burn it off with the lid off, then add the drain/rinsed pigeon peas (you may also use red kidney beans if you can’t source pigeon peas), diced carrot and celery and stir well to pick up that lovely caramel base we created.

Add the washed rice (basically you’ll place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and massage. The water will go cloudy, drain and repeat until the water is no longer cloudy). In the same bowl you seasoned the pig tails, add the water (from the ingredient list above) to swish around to pick up any remaining marinade.. add that water to the pot. You can also add the coconut milk at this point. Top with the sprigs of thyme and the scotch bonnet pepper. Cover and bring to a boil.

Try your best to NOT break the pepper as it cooks or you’ll release the beast (heat). Unless you like that kind of heat. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.

You may remove the pepper and any of the sprigs of thyme you can easily see. Do taste for salt as we didn’t add any – the remaining salt in the salted pigtails should be enough.. but you’re free to adjust. Cover the pot and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

There are those who like their pelau ‘wet’ and if you’re like me, it must be a bit grainy. Should you prefer it ‘wet’ add a bit more liquid than I recommended and you’ll achieve a wet finish. Top with the chopped parsley for a bit of color. An amazing one pot dish, which goes well with a side salad of some sort. Some may say, a coleslaw is needed.. I’m cool with a few slices of cucumber and a wedge of ripe avocado.

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Meat & Poultry

Salted Pigtail Callaloo Recipe.

May 27, 2025October 8, 2017Leave a Comment

While I’ve shared several versions of Callaloo, the classic soup-like dish prepared in the Southern Caribbean, this is one of those versions mom would make when she didn’t have access to fresh ocean crab. I still remember mom would have to hide the fact that there were piece of salted pig tails in the Callaloo or my sisters wouldn’t ever touch it.. but my brother, dad and I were quite excited to get those tender pieces of pork on our plate on a Sunday.

You’ll Need…

1 lb salted pigtails (prepared)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (veg or olive oil is ok)
1 lb baby spinach
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
1 medium onion (diced)
2 scallions (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil (any oil will work)
2-3 wiri wiri peppers (or any spicy pepper you like)
1-2 cups pumpkin (cubed)
15-20 small okra (chopped)
4 sprigs thyme
*salt – adjust

Get your butcher to cut the pieces of salted pig tails into 1 inch pieces as it can be tough to cut with your basic kitchen knife. Rinse, then put in a pot of water to boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes. This step will help to remove the excess salt it was cured in (or the dish will be too salty) and to help tenderize the meat itself. The goal at the end is to have the meat fall off the bones. Then drain and set aside.

In a deep pot heat the coconut oil on a medium flame, then add the scallion, garlic, onion, thyme and black pepper and reduce to a low heat and cook gently for 3-5 minutes.

Wash and drain the spinach, then add it to the pot.

Now it’s time to add the pumpkin, okra and the prepared pieces of pigtails. Give it a good mix, then turn the heat up to high. Put the wiri wiri peppers whole (any pepper you add).

Immediately add the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.

When it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook for about an hour and 20 minutes. Please be mindful to NOT break the peppers, or the dish will turn out spicy. However, in my case I wanted the heat.

There are 2 ways to personalize this.. taste for salt and adjust (we didn’t add any as the remaining salt in the pigtails should be enough) and remove/discard the peppers before we move to the next step. Then you can remove the pieces of pigtails from the pot and using a swizzle stick (as seen in the pic) or a wire whisk.. whisk until relatively smooth. If you prefer to use an immersion blender, you’re free to do so. However I’d recommend ‘pulsing’ or it will change the texture and go frothy.

Add back the pieces of pig tails, check one more time or salt and adjust. Additionally, if this was done traditionally you’d add a teaspoon of ‘salted butter (Golden Ray), but I no longer use that in my recipes due to health concerns. Turn off the stove and serve.

As mentioned in the video below, traditionally mom would use the baby leaves of the dasheen plant (say dasheen bush leaves), but I’m not based in the Caribbean where it’s readily available, thus the use of baby spinach in this callaloo recipe. I must also mention that if you don’t have freshly made coconut milk, the canned stuff will work quite well. I wouldn’t recommend using stock instead of water as I believe it will change the overall taste of the dish (not to my liking).

If you don’t already know, this can be enjoyed as a soup or as a side to a typical Caribbean Sunday lunch with stewed or oven roasted meats, rice, macaroni pie, boiled sweet potato, salad and plantain.

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Meat & Poultry

Spam For Breakfast – Caribbean Style Spam Recipe.

May 27, 2025October 1, 20173 Comments

NO! I never had Spam while living in the Caribbean as mom wasn’t big on feeding us canned stuff (corned beef, salmon and sardines were the exceptions) and to be completely honest, this was the first time I would be including Spam in a recipe. Further, I didn’t even know what to expect as I opened the can of Spam. Totally unknown territory for me, but the plan was to include this interesting canned meat in our morning breakfast alongside eggs, slices of avocado and toasted coconut bread.

You’ll Need…

1 can Spam (diced)
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 clove garlic (diced fine or crushed)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1/4 chili pepper
2-4 drops worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/2 small bell pepper (diced)
2 scallions (chopped)

On opening the can of Spam I could tell that the texture was a bit soggy and overall it was fatty. I quickly diced it into 1 cm pieces and thought it would be best to sort of render out some of that fat to flavor the dish.

In a non stick pan I added the oil, then the cubed spam on a medium heat. The goal is to toast the edges, give it a slight bit of color and render out some of the fat. After about 3-5 minutes it’s time to add the garlic, black pepper and diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes.

At this point you can add everything else mentioned in the ingredients list and stir well to incorporate.

Cook on medium/low for another 3-5 minutes. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt as I find the amount of sodium in such canned meats, is enough. But taste and adjust to your own liking. If you wanted a little gravy, you can add about 1/4 cup of water near the end and cook until it’s to the consistency you like.

Overall a delightful way to put an ingredient (Spam) which has a bit of a “reputation” to delicious use.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Classic Caribbean Beef Pelau.

January 6, 2018September 5, 20174 Comments

During those cold and nasty winter days in January and February I always try to add a little Caribbean sunshine in our home/kitchen in Canada, with a big pot of bubbling Pelau. A delicious one pot dish packed with ingredients and flavors of the Caribbean which immediately takes me back to my childhood on the islands. However back then it was the dish of choice (usually the Chicken version) for those days at the beach.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs beef
2 scallions (chopped)
4 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 med onion (diced)
1 large tomato (diced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 tablespoon salt
3 cups long grain par-boil rice
1 can coconut milk (about 1.5 cups)
2 cups water – adjust
1 large carrot (diced)
1 can pigeon peas (drain, rinsed)
3 small white habanero peppers

1 tablespoon veg oil
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs (especially the Worcestershire sauce). I used 3 white Habanero peppers, but you can use any spicy pepper you like or leave it out if ‘heat’ is not your thing. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

Cut the pieces of beef into thin strips (I used a cheap cut of beef) and season with the salt, black pepper, scallions, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, parsley, tomato, onion, garlic, hot pepper and ketchup. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

This is the most critical part of the cooking process so follow along by using the video below. In a heavy / dry pot, heat the veg oil on a medium flame, then add the brown sugar. Make sure the pot is dry, as well as the spoon you’ll be using. I’d recommend using a spoon with a long handle. You may need to turn the fan on above your stove or open your kitchen windows as it can become a bit smoky. Turn the heat up to high (please have the seasoned beef close) and stir the sugar. It will melt, go frothy, then amber in color (like the edges in the pic below). You want all the sugar to go amber and NOT black. If it goes black you’ve gone too far.. STOP. As you achieve that amber color.. carefully add the seasoned beef to the pot and stir well.

After you’ve stirred it well, cover the pot and bring it to a boil. After it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook for about 30 minutes. Yes, you will be required to stir it every 5-10 mins and it will spring it’s own juices.

After 30 minutes or so, turn the heat up to med/high, remove the lid and burn off all the liquid that’s left. We’ll achieve two things.. intensify the beef with the ‘stewed’ flavor and we’ll get a lovely dark color which will help ‘color’ the finished dish. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, pour in the water and mix around to pick up any remaining marinade (we’ll need it soon). Stir the beef well as the liquid burns off so it’s doesn’t burn. When you can see the veg oil we started off with, add the rinsed pigeon peas, diced carrots and coconut milk. Stir and bring to a boil

It’s now time to wash your rice and add it to the pot. Basically all you have to do is place the rice in a deep bowl, cover with water and massage with your fingers/hands. The water will go cloudy. Drain off that water and repeat that process until the water in the bowl is relatively clear.

Now add the water from the bowl (where the beef was marinated) and bring to a boil (stir). As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover and allow it to cook until the rice is fully plump and all the liquid is burnt off. Taste for salt near the end and adjust accordingly. I’d recommend leaving the lid on the pot for about 10 minutes after you turn off the stove. Also, you can have the Pelau be grainy (as in this version) or add a bit more water to the pot if you like your pelau a bit more ‘soupy’.

If you have celery or extra parsley, I’d recommend adding a bit (diced fine) after you turn off the stove. Then after the 10 minutes of ‘resting’, stir in.

Serve with a side of coleslaw, Tomato Choka and/or Pepper Choka.. don’t forget a thick slice of Avocado! Remember to cut the pieces of beef small so it’s fork tender when the pelau is done cooking.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Peri Peri Chicken (better than Nandos)

May 27, 2025July 29, 201713 Comments

After my birthday dinner at Nandos compliments of Indy, I came back with an urgency to give Peri Peri chicken a try. While not a “Caribbean” dish I feel it’s a dish we would definitely relate to, due to our connection to Africa and Portugal. The Peri Peri chicken at Nandos was good, however I found a true ‘depth’ of flavor was missing and the ‘promise’ of heat fell short. Yes, as a son of the Caribbean I do appreciate a bit of heat. So here’s my take on Peri Peri chicken.

You’ll Need…

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5-8 sprigs thyme
1 lemon (juice)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3-5 bird’s eye pepper
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
2 Fresno or Sandia peppers (1/4 bell pepper will work)
2 whole chicken (cut in half)

Important. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

If using a blender or food processor, place all the ingredients (except the chicken) in it and pulse until you have a relatively smooth paste. In my case I added the thyme (leaves), salt and peppers (rough chopped) in my mortar and using the pestle I crushed it a bit chunky. I then add the other ingredients and gave it a good mix.

I used a large bowl.. then transferred to a strong zipper bag. Trim off the excess fat off the chicken, make sure they are free of feathers and clean. Then pour on the marinade and mix well. Place the bag with the seasoned chicken in the fridge (on a plate in case there is a leak in the bag). For best results keep it marinating overnight and try to toss it around a couple times before you head off to bed.

I like my marinades a bit chunky, but feel free to pulse until a bit smoother if you want. The next day I removed the bag out of the fridge before I went to get my coal fire going, so the chicken would come back up to room temperature before we placed them on the grill. For juicy chicken I’d recommend grilling these over an indirect heat source. Basically away from direct contact with the heat.

With the chicken on the outskirts of my fire, I placed the remaining marinade from the zipper bag in my metal grilling pan over the direct flame to gently cook it. I used this to baste the chicken pieces as they grilled. If you’re using the leftover marinade to baste the chicken and you have no means/plans to cook it, remember to stop basting after about an hr so you have enough time to cook off the raw marinade which has been in contact with the chicken.

Remember to flip the chicken pieces and shift them around so each piece is in the direction of the heat source. I HIGHLY recommend using a coals fire for maximum flavor. Yes a propane grill with work and you can also do this Peri Peri chicken in the oven (leave a comment below if you’d like the oven instructions).

Since I had a wonderful fire going I also roasted off some tomatoes and scotch bonnet peppers for a quick Tomato Choka. In total it took about an hour and forty (1hr 40 mins – covered) to grill off the chicken pieces. Now this will change depending on the size of your chicken pieces, the temperature of your grill and how close to the heat source you place the chicken pieces.

Do remember to baste occasionally with the leftover marinade. The last 10 15 minutes you can go directly over the flame to get the skin somewhat crispy. We purposely left on the skin to help protect the chicken from drying off while they grill and the rendering of the skin/fat will moisten the chicken at the same time.

As we continue the annual #JulyMonthofGrilling I do hope you give this Peri Peri Chicken a try, it’s succulent, packed with flavors and very simple to put together. Who needs Nandos when you can make your own and be in full control.. especially the salt which I personally think Nandos was a bit heavy with.

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Being second only to the English as slave traders, the Portuguese appeared in Trinidad at a much earlier date than is generally supposed. In the 17th and 18th century, the small Spanish colonies that settled from time to time were supplied with slaves by these Portuguese traders whose headquarters were in Brazil. The north and east coasts of Trinidad had large plantations which were also used as slaves depots.

The first Portuguese colonisation made no roots in the islands and never got beyond the fringe of coastline. They mostly traded in slaves and shipped whatever produce these slaves grew while at the coastal depots to Europe in slave trading vessels, going back across the Atlantic for another load of human cargo. With the slowing up and eventual abolishment of the slave trade, these Portuguese settlement disappeared from the island.

The second colonisation—that which is the origin of the Portuguese community of today— occurred under more credible circumstances. It was comprised of refugees who had fled the island of Madeira in the 1850s. They were Protestant, and the religious persecution begun by the Lisbon government at the instigation of the Catholic church had become alarmed at the inroads made in a former stronghold of the faith by Scottish Presbyterians. Excerpt: The Portuguese in Trinidad by Jean de Boissiere

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings.

May 27, 2025July 3, 20176 Comments

As we kick off another edition of our annual “July Month of Grilling”, I thought I’d hit you with a recipe we first did in the oven during the early days of this website. However this time we’ll try to replicate that authentic pimento wood flavor as you’d normally get at jerk joints in Jamaica. Yes, it’s time for the Ultimate Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings. The marinade and technique can also be used on larger pieces of chicken with great success. But for now let’s rock some of the best chicken wings you’ll ever make/serve.

You’ll Need…

5 lbs chicken wings
2 limes
3-5 scallions
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1 med onion
3 cloves garlic
2 thick slices ginger
1 teaspoon allspice (+ add 8 berries)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
10 sprigs thyme

3/4 lb wood chips + tin foil + allspice berries (for the smoke pouch)

Important! If making this jerk marinade gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce.. use a gluten free version please.

Give the garlic, onion, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers a rough chop, then place in your blender or food processor. Remember to wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Additionally, you can leave out the seeds if you want to control the heat a bit. Add the juice of the limes along with everything else (except the chicken wings and stuff for the smoke pouch) into the food processor.

Instead of the sugar you can use honey, maple syrup or any of your fav sweetener. I like to pulse the food processor so I get a sort of chunky marinade at the end. However you can go as smooth as you like. This marinade will keep in the fridge for at least a week (in the event you want to make it in advance). I used a combination of allspice berries and powder (aka pimento).

Pour the marinade over the chicken wings (you can use a large zipper bag). Give it a good mix and place the fridge overnight. Feel free to mix it around if you remember during the night.

I like using my hands to work the marinade on the wings, but I’d recommend using gloves if you do. To help us achieve that lovely pimento smoke you expect to taste in good Jamaican Jerk, we’ll need to create a smoke pouch. I don’t have access to pimento wood, so I usually use a combination of (hard) fruit wood and pimento berries (see the video below). Soak the wood chips of your choice with the berries for a few hours in a bowl with water.

Remove the wings from the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill. Using tin foil create a pouch with the wood and pimento berries. Seal and poke with a fork so you’ll have some holes for the smoke to escape and perfume the grill. I used a propane grill, but you can use a charcoal grill with better results.

I placed the smoke pouch directly over my flame, covered my grill and ensured I saw smoke before I got the wings on. After I saw smoke I turned my heat down to low. I have two levels on my grill so the wings went on the top rack and the smoke pouch directly below them. While they were directly above the heat source, they did’t get raw heat as the heat was low and the smoke pouch shielded them a bit. You’re free to grill these with indirect heat.

With the lid closed I kept the wings on the top level for about 35 minutes. Remember to move them around so they cook evenly. I then moved the pouch to the side and moved the wings to the lower level of my grill. To help them develop some color and fully cook over the direct heat. My heat was at about 325 F.

Here is where you MUST keep a close eye on the wings or they will burn. Slightly charred edges is perfect.. but NOT burnt. The sugars in the marinade will encourage it to burn fast. I kept them on the lower level for 10-15 minutes. It will depend on the size of the wings you use.

While I didn’t mention it in the video below, I’d recommend drizzling on some fresh lime or lemon juice just before you remove these jerk wings from the grill. It will help to brighten them up a bit with that kick of citrus. Feel free to add some water, beer or apple juice to the bag you marinated the wings in and use that to baste the wings as they grill. IMPORTANT! Remember the raw chicken was in that marinade, so stop using it to baste-on after about 25 minutes. You really need to cook out any rawness.

That smoke punch will make a huge difference and YES I really want you to marinate the wings overnight for maximum flavor.

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