Ingredients
1 cup distilled white vinegar, divided
1 whole lime cut in half
1 kg beef (mixture of chuck, beef stew, soup bones)
1 cup Epis *recipe below
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1 medium calabaza squash (about 1 kg), peeled, cubed, or 2 pounds defrosted frozen cubed calabaza squash, or 1 butternut squash (about 1 kg), peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large potatoes, cut into cubes
2 medium carrots, sliced
¼ small green cabbage (about 500 gms), very thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
2 small turnips, finely chopped
1 green Scotch bonnet or habanero
1 cup rigatoni
6 whole cloves
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 parsley sprig
1 thyme sprig
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Water
Epis Recipe:
¼ medium onion
½ green bell pepper chopped
½ red bell pepper chopped
½ yellow bell pepper chopped
10 scallions chopped
12 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup parsley chopped
2 sprigs of thyme (just leaves)
¼ cup olive or canola oil
Method
1. For the Epis, place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend.
2. Pour 1 cup vinegar into a large bowl. Mix the beef in vinegar. Squeeze lime halves and clean the meat in the Caribbean way by rubbing the meat with the inside of the lime pieces. Rinse with cold water, strain and set meat aside in a large soup pot.
3. Add oil, ½ cup of Epis seasoning, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and seasoned salt to the pot along with the meat. Toss to coat, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
4. After marinating, set the meat pot on a medium flame and add 2 cups of water. Cover and let simmer for 40 minutes continuously by adding water until the meat is soft.
5. In a separate pot, add squash and 4 cups of water. Cook on a medium flame until squash is tender. This should take about 25 minutes.
6. Once cooked, in a blender or a food processor, blend the squash into a purée. Then, add squash to the pot of cooked meat.
7. On a medium flame, add 5 cups of water to the pot with soup. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onion, celery, leek, turnips, cloves, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, scotch bonnet pepper, a pinch of cayenne, parsley and thyme.
8. Ensure the liquid is at least 2 inches above the vegetables and meat. Add water as required
9. Let it simmer (uncovered) until vegetables are tender. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Add the rigatoni, butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Simmer on low until the pasta is cooked, for about 10-12 minutes.
11. Soup can be as thick or thin as you like. Adjust liquid to your preference
12. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
13. Serve hot and enjoy with sliced or toasted bread!
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