Deer soup or kadon binadu is a Chamorro favorite. The Chamorros are natives of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands including Saipan, Rota and Tinian. As United States citizens, many islanders have moved to the U.S., bringing along and sharing their native dishes. Deer is hunted on Guam seasonally as it is in the U.S. Deer parts commonly used in kadon binadu include the ribs, backbones and the bones and meat of the neck. Chamorros love using bony parts in kaddo for the flavor, but especially because the bones have many crevices in which to suck the kado or soup.
Step 1
Heat a large soup pot on medium heat.
Step 2
Add 2 tbsp. of oil to the pot, heating for two minutes.
Step 3
Place 4 to 5 lbs. of deer bones and meat into the hot oil, browning on one side for three minutes.
Step 4
Turn the deer meat to brown the other side for three minutes.
Step 5
Sprinkle 1 tsp. of salt and a ½ tsp. of ground black pepper over the meat then stir the meat in the pot.
Step 6
Add a ½ cup of chopped onions and continue to sauté with the deer until the onions become translucent.
Step 7
Throw in two cloves of finely minced garlic, cooking for two minutes.
Step 8
Add just enough water to barely cover the surface of the deer meat.
Step 9
Bring the water to a gentle boil, boiling young deer meat for about one hour; if you are cooking meat from an older deer, you may have to boil the meat for two hours until it becomes tender.
Step 10
Remove one piece of meat or a bone with meat on it from the pot; slice into the meat, checking for tenderness.
Step 11
Return the meat to the pot and boil for another hour if your meet is not as tender as you would like it.
Step 12
Add 2 cups of largely cubed taro or tsuni to your kado if you desire; continue to boil the soup until the taro is fork-tender.
Step 13
Add a ½ lb. of pumpkin tips or puntan kalamasa to the kado, cooking until the stems of the pumpkin tips are forktender.
Step 14
Turn the heat off once your deer meat is sufficiently tender and your vegetables are cooked.
Step 15
Add one can of thick coconut milk, stirring to completely incorporate the mixture.
Step 16
Taste your kado, adding more salt as desired. Add another half of a can or full can of coconut milk if you would like more of the coconut flavored to come through, enhancing your kadon binadu.
Tips and Warnings
- Use string beans if you cannot find pumpkin tips in your area.
- Turn the heat off just before you add the coconut milk or the coconut oil will separate from the milk, leaving you with a noticeably oily kado.
Things You'll Need
- Large soup pot
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 4 to 5 lb. deer meat with bones
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lb. taro or tsuni, largely cubed
- 1/2 pound pumpkin tips or puntan kalamasa
- 2, 13.5 oz. cans of thick coconut milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
References
- "Leblon Finatinas Para Guam, Guam Cookbook"; Y Inetnon Famalaoan; 1988
- "A History of Guam"; Lawrence J. Cunningham, et al.; 2001
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