Pomo, Shaki and Assorted Meats: A Cook's Love Letter
Pomo, the one everyone asks about
Pomo is cow skin. Good pomo is soft enough to pull apart with a fork but strong enough to hold its shape in a bubbling sauce. Poor pomo turns rubbery, and no amount of seasoning saves it. We buy pomo that has been cleaned at the abattoir, trim the remaining hair at home with a sharp knife, soak it in warm salty water for 30 minutes, then simmer it with onion, thyme and bay leaf for 40 minutes before it meets the sauce.
Shaki that actually surrenders
Shaki is cow tripe. It is the most forgiving assorted meat when handled well, and the most unforgiving when rushed. We pressure cook shaki for 45 minutes with onion, ginger and a small bouillon cube. That is what makes it tender enough to take on the flavour of the sauce. Grocery shaki without this step will chew like rubber, and nobody deserves that.
Liver, kidney, and lungs
Liver cooks fast. Four minutes in boiling stock, and then it rests. Kidney needs a quick vinegar soak to pull out the bitter edge. Lungs (ufu) need to be squeezed clean of their internal water before they go anywhere near a pot. Each one has a rhythm. Respect it.
How we season them together
Every pot of assorted meat in our kitchen starts with the same base. Onion, garlic, ginger, thyme, curry powder, a bay leaf, salt and one bouillon cube. Everything parboils together. The stock from that pot is the most valuable thing in the entire kitchen. It goes back into the sauce and carries the soul of the dish.
The final step that most people skip
Before we combine the meats with the palm oil base, we grill a portion of the shaki and pomo on a dry pan until the edges char slightly. That small char is what gives Ofada sauce its party edge. Try it once and you will never go back.
If you would rather eat the final pot than cook it, order Ofada Magic sauce on WhatsApp. We cook it like it is for our own family.
Hungry now? Order Sauce on WhatsApp, or let us cook for your next event.