
Recipes
Stewed Pigtail
By Nadine Dixon
When Nadine Dixon was growing up in the island country of Jamaica, her family raised pigs, chickens and rabbits and grew their own vegetables. A favorite thing to eat there is stew peas. It’s thick and hearty – and it’s “beloved” for good reason. “In the country, the men worked really long days while the women were at home washing and cooking. It’s filling and gives them energy,” she says. Jamaicans, she says, love soups and stews, the tropical climate notwithstanding. You’ll notice that the recipe for stew peas calls for red kidney beans. In Jamaica, all beans, legumes and pulses are called peas. The seasonings used here – pimento seeds (known more commonly in the States as allspice berries) and Scotch bonnet peppers, among them – are also emblematic of Jamaican cuisine. Wondering where to get pigtails? Dixon suggests visiting a Hispanic or Asian grocery store. If you’d like to make this vegan, just leave out the pigtails.
Ingredients
Makes 3 to 4 servings
A large bowl of water
3 salted pigtails
1 1/2 gallons water
1 cup dry red kidney beans
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons diced green bell peppers
1/2 of a scotch bonnet pepper, minced to 1/4-inch cubes
2 stalks green onion
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon whole pimento seeds (allspice berries)
Instructions
Fill a large bowl with water. Add the pigtails, place the bowl in the refrigerator and soak it overnight to remove excess saltiness. Remove the bowl from the fridge and drain the pigtails in a colander. Bring a pot filled with 1 1/2 gallons of water to a boil. Add the pigtails to the boiling water and cook over medium heat for two hours or until soft. Then remove the pigtails from the water and rinse them under cold water to remove the remaining salt. Cut them into pieces at the joints. Add the cut pieces back to the pot of water, followed by the red kidney beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the gravy thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If you don’t like a lot of green onion, thyme and pimento, remove the excess with a spoon. Traditionally, this stew is served with white rice and plantains.
Bio
Nadine Dixon’s mother, who loves to cook, inspired her to open Mobay Cafe. Looking to fill the void in Milwaukee for a full-service Jamaican restaurant, the native Jamaican says she wants to “make people feel like they’re somewhere on the island” when they’re in her dining room. “When you go to Jamaica, they don’t say, ‘Welcome to Montego Bay.’ They say, ‘Welcome to Mobay.’” Hence, the name of Mobay Café. Of her restaurant’s diverse menu (which includes vegan items like Jamaican stir-fry bok choy), she adds, “We just want to display that Jamaica has a lot more to offer than just traditional dishes.”

Nadine Dixon
Mobay Cafe
Nadine Dixon
Mobay Cafe
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