NEW YORK, NY - Today I will share with you the recipe for Cow foot stew or Raghu as the Haitians call it. This is a popular stew throughout the Caribbean and is complimented with an ample amount of broad beans to completely provide the full complement of essential amino acids. It is served with rice and peas or with white rice.
Specifically, these soups and stews are rich calcium, magnesium and phosphorus which help our bones to grow and repair. They also contain all nutrients and minerals found in bones and tendons such as collagen and gelatin as well as amino acids, glycine and protein which fights inflammation in the body including the gut.
Cow Foot Stew Recipe
Ingredients:
4lbs. Cow’s feet (chopped and cleaned)
3 packs Lima or Butter Bean
3. sprigs Thyme
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
3 stalk. Scallions
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper
6 Pimento seeds
1/2 soy sauce
Method:
1: Wash meat in cold water with lime or lemon.
2: Put in a large pot of water.
3: Add all the seasonings including soy sauce and allow to cook for 2 hours until fork tender.
4: Add Lima or butter beans.
4a: Add more water if necessary to cook beans and provide enough sauce.
5: Skim the fat off the top of the pot with a spoon.
6: Taste for salt and pepper add more if needed.
7: Continue to cook until beans are soft and sauce is reduced.
Serve with rice and peas or white rice. Do not forget your vegetables! Steamed cabbage and carrots are an excellent accompaniment.
Bon Appetite!
Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president, Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD).
