Pfefferpotthast

Pfefferpotthast is a traditional German beef stew from the cuisine of Westphalia, also known in Low German as Piäpperpottharst. Beef seared in lard and sauteed onions are simmered with bay leaves, cloves and other spices until the meat falls apart, then seasoned with pepper and sometimes capers and lemon juice. The stew is thickened with pumpernickel bread crumbs instead of flour. In summer it is served with boiled potatoes and salad, in winter with pickled cucumbers and beetroot. It is first mentioned in a story about Agnes von der Vierbecke written in 1378 in Dortmund, where an annual Pfefferpotthastfest is held in autumn at the Alter Markt, and in Westhofen it belongs to the Sup Peiter day that marks the end of winter.