Neighborhood Eats: 'German's' Guyanese soup in East Flatbush
EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- German's soup got its start in Guyana, but Brooklyn seems to be a perfect spot for the restaurant's next generation.
Clinton Urling is not sure why his father, Hubert Urling was called 'German,' but in Guyana, German's food is legendary.
"The restaurant became really popular - not just with the working class, but the who's who in Guyana, and to this day it has a legendary name and everyone comes for the cow heels soup," says Clinton.
That very same soup is now being served up German's Soup on 793 Utica Avenue in East Flatbush.
"Now that I'm here, I think even I underestimated the size of the Guyanese population. Now that we're open, we see lots of people who say 'I live here...live around the block, and it's enormous the response and pride you see from Guyanese," Clinton adds.
The menu also resonates with people from the Caribbean and South America.
One of the classics is 'pepper pot' - the beef stew is flavored with orange peel, cinnamon, scotch bonnet peppers and the juice of cassava, which acts like a preservative. It all simmers on the stovetop with sugar and cloves, and is served on top of rice.
The dish is sweet with a slight kick, but you can always add more pepper sauce.
RECIPE: Beef and Cowheel Pepper Pot
Ingredients
3lbs Beef
3 lbs. Cowheel
1 cup Casareep
1 stick Cinnamon Spice
Half -Inch Piece Green Orange Peel
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Pepper
1/8 Cup Fine Thyme Leaf
1/8 Cup Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Salt
1/8 Cup Diced Garlic
8 Cups Water
1/8 Cup Clove
Directions
1. Put meats in bowl, wash and drain
2. Add all Ingredients to meats and mix up well to season
3. Leave out for 40 to 50 minutes
4. Add seasoned meats into pot and add 8 cups water and then cook on slow boil for 40-50 minutes until meats are tender
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