Entree: American Samoa – National Cuisine – Taro and Povi Masima (Boiled taro corms stewed with salted beef, finished with coconut milk)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

- 2 lb (900 g) taro corms, peeled and halved
- 1 lb (454 g) salted beef (povi masima), rinsed and soaked 1–2 hours to remove excess salt
- 4 cups (960 ml) water, or enough to cover ingredients
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (approx. 6 g)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil (optional, for browning)
- 13.5 oz (400 ml) coconut milk or coconut cream (1 can)
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (12 g) chopped green onion for garnish
- Salt, if needed after cooking

Instructions

1. Rinse the salted beef and soak in fresh water 1–2 hours, changing the water once, to remove excess salt. Drain.
2. Place the soaked, drained beef in a medium pot with 4 cups water and bring to a simmer. Skim any foam and simmer gently 45–60 minutes until the meat is tender. Remove the beef and reserve the cooking liquid.
3. When cool enough to handle, cut the beef into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes or shred, discarding excess fat if desired.
4. Optional: heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat and brown the beef cubes briefly to deepen flavor, 3–4 minutes.
5. Add the taro corms, sliced onion, and crushed garlic to the pot with the beef. Pour in enough reserved cooking liquid (and additional water if needed) to just cover. Bring to a gentle boil.
6. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25–35 minutes until taro is fork-tender and beginning to break down into the broth.
7. Stir in the coconut milk and black pepper, simmer uncovered 5–10 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken the sauce. Taste and add a small amount of salt only if necessary (the povi masima usually provides most seasoning).
8. Serve hot garnished with chopped green onion. Leftovers refrigerate 2–3 days and reheats gently on the stove.