Red Peas Soup (Jamaican Beef)

Wash and rinse the dried beans. Then cover them with water in a deep bowl. Remember that as they soak they will expand to at least triple their original size, so add plenty of water to the container. Let them soak overnight or for at least 2 hours to make the cooking step quicker. I threw out the water they were soaked in after it did its job.

Ask your butcher to cut the salted pigtail into 2-inch pieces, as it will be very difficult to cut with a regular kitchen knife. Wash, then place a deep pot with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes, then drain + rinse and repeat (boil again in water). The goal is to make the pork tail pieces tender and remove most of the salt with which it was cured.

It's time to start the soup. Place everything in the pot (except the flour and potato), then cover with water and place over high heat to boil. When it boils, skim the foam/foam off the top and discard. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and let it cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes...basically until the beans are tender and starting to fall apart.

Now it's time to add the potato (and yam, etc., if you add it), as well as the coconut milk and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Now is a good time to start making the basic dough for the rotating dumplings. Mix the flour and water (add a pinch of salt if you want) until you have a soft/smooth dough. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then pinch it a tablespoon at a time and roll it between your hands to shape it into a cigarette.

Add them to the pot, stir well and continue cooking for another 15 minutes over low heat.

You will notice that I did not add salt to the pot as the remaining salt from the salted pigtails will be enough to properly season this dish. However, you can test and adjust accordingly. Let's recap the time part so you don't get confused. Cook the soup base for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender, then add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, then add the dumplings and cook for a further 15 minutes. Please note that this soup will thicken quite a bit as it cools.

While this is not a traditional recipe for any specific island, versions of this soup (sometimes called stewed peas) can be found throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa. A big bowl of this soup is sure to make you sleepy (some may call it ethnic fatigue). You can certainly freeze leftovers and reheat them another day.

foods：
2 cups of beans
1 large carrot
2 chopped chives
4 sprigs of thyme
1 onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 red peppers, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon allspice
2 pounds of beef
2 liters of water
4 potatoes
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup water
1 cup coconut milk