Bajans love pork
Bajans love love love pork. We may like chicken and love fish and beef but we reserve the zenith of their affection for sus domesticus (scientific name for pig). Seems we are not alone as pork is the most consumed meat worldwide. FAO data for 2002 shows that likkle Barbados had higher consumption of pork per kg per person than its larger neighbours, Jamaica and Trinidad.
Our love of pork is married to a love of variety in its preparation. We will pickle, barbeque, roast and bake pork We pickle the less prime cuts of the meat such as the feet, ears, knuckles and tail. While the pickling of pork (boiling in salt water and then cooking in spices) is perhaps not as common outside the Caribbean, weekends are incomplete for most Bajans without a good serving of souse from their favourite joint. We also pickle pig tail but the barbequed preparation of this delicacy is probably more popular. We pull and roast pork to spread breadfruits or as fillings for buns or salt bread. In Barbados ham is not reserved only for Christmas. Our beloved ham cutters are a sought after ready to go snack or meal ( depending on your appetite) that are available year round. As is the case with pudding and souse, Bajans are particular whom they will patronize for their cutters. Hunter’s Bar and Restaurant in town is famous for its cutters and it’s rumoured that they count Mick Jagger as a former customer. You can experience n Hunter’s famous cutter when you join us on the Bridgetown Food and Heritage Tour.
We have also left a our pudding and souse recipe for the serious foodie cooks. But if simply following the recipe is not enough, you can purchase our cooking demonstration.
Happy cooking!
Pudding and Souse
Ingredients
- 2 1b pork shoulder or go truly local and use 1 lb pork shoulder together with 1 lb pork ears/feet/ head.
- 1 1/2 1b sweet potato
- 3 limes or 5 tablespoons of lime juice concentrate
- 1 sweet pepper
- 1 large onion
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp chopped thyme
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 cup chopped chives
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp browning (used to add colour to the pudding)
- 1 tsp butter
- salt and sugar to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cut pork into smaller pieces.
- Place pork in pot of boiling water.
- Cook for 40 -50 minutes until tender.
- Remove and rinse with a mixture of salt water and lime juice. Let drain and set aside.
- Start pickle by grating cucumber and sweet pepper. Mix together and place in a bowl.
- Add parsley and salt.
- Remove seeds and slice the scotch bonnet pepper into very small pieces. Add to bowl. (Use less pepper or do not use pepper at all if you want a mild tasting pickle)
- Slice and add onion.
- Squeeze and add lime juice.
- Add pork to pickle and mix together.
- Grate sweet potato and place in a mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and salt.
- Add butter and oil.
- Add chives and thyme.
- Add browning to colour.
- Place pudding mixture into grease proof oven dish.
- Bake at 350 F for around 20 - 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Place scoops of pudding ( you can use a ramekin to shape) on a plate.
- Layer the souse over the pudding.
- Enjoy!