Ingredients

• 2 pounds pig tails, scrubbed, rinsed in cold water, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound salt beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 1/2 pints water
• 1 pound yams, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound coco, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups ice water
• 12 okra, rinsed
• 8 ounces Indian kale, trimmed of heavy stalks and finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon powdered thyme
• Freshly ground salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 ounces onion, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 can callaloo* or 1 pound fresh spinach, shredded
• *a Jamaican green vegetable that tastes like a cross between broccoli and spinach

Instructions

1. In a pot large enough to hold at least 20 cups of water, add pig tails. Cook on medium heat to render fat. Pat salt beef dry with a towel. When drippings have accumulated, add salt beef to pot and saute until brown.
2. Once browned, add 6 1/2 pints of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the surface and clings to the sides of the pot.
3. After 1 hour, add the yams and coco. Add ice water to congeal fat and cause it to rise to the top. Skim off fat. Simmer for 1/2 hour more.
4. Add okra and kale. Add thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Add chopped onion and scallion. Cook another 1/2 hour. Add callaloo or spinach and boil for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.