Trinidad Oil Down
A hearty and flavorful one-pot stew made with salted meat, breadfruit, callaloo leaves, coconut milk, and various vegetables and seasonings. It's a true taste of Trini comfort food.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 lb Salted beef or pigtail(soaked overnight and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 medium Breadfruit(peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 2 cans Coconut milk(13.5 oz each, full fat)
- 1 lb Dasheen leaves (Taro leaves)(chopped (or spinach as a substitute))
- 1 large Onion(chopped)
- 4 cloves Garlic(minced)
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper(or to taste, pierced a few times)
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 3 chopped Pimento peppers
- 1 cup Water(or as needed)
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the soaked salted meat, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped pimento peppers, and thyme sprigs. Add about 1/2 cup of water.
- 2
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30-45 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Stir occasionally.
💡 Tip: This process helps to tenderize the salted meat and render some of its fat. - 3
Add the breadfruit chunks to the pot. Pour in the two cans of coconut milk and the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Stir well to combine.
- 4
Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then add the chopped dasheen leaves (or spinach) and the whole scotch bonnet pepper. Stir gently.
- 5
Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the breadfruit is tender and the sauce has thickened considerably, becoming oily. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
💡 Tip: The 'oil down' refers to the rich coconut oil that separates and coats the ingredients as it cooks down. - 6
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed. Remove the thyme sprigs and the scotch bonnet pepper before serving. The scotch bonnet can be served whole on the side for those who like extreme heat.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure the salted meat is properly soaked to remove excess salt.
- ✓If dasheen leaves are unavailable, spinach can be used, though it will alter the authentic flavor slightly.
- ✓The key to Oil Down is patience; allow it to simmer and reduce slowly to achieve the characteristic rich, oily consistency.
🔄 Variations
- Add other vegetables like pumpkin or christophene.
- Include other proteins such as chicken or fish.