Instructions
Rinse the dried kidney beans thoroughly under cold water. Place the rinsed beans in a large bowl. Cover the beans with at least 4 cups of fresh water. Soak the beans overnight, or for a minimum of 2 hours. Before cooking, drain and discard the soaking water.
Have your butcher cut the salted pigtail into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Rinse the pigtail pieces under cold running water. Place the pigtail in a large pot and cover with fresh water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Boil for 20 minutes. Drain the pigtail and rinse it again under cold water. Return the pigtail to the clean pot. Cover with fresh water once more. Bring to a boil again and cook for another 20 minutes. This process removes excess salt and softens the pigtail.
In a very large pot (at least 6-quart or 5.7 liter capacity), combine the drained kidney beans, prepared pigtail, beef stew meat, peeled and roughly chopped carrots, chopped spring onions, fresh thyme sprigs, diced yellow onion, ground black pepper, seeded and chopped red bell peppers, minced garlic cloves, and ground allspice. Pour 2 liters (approximately 8.5 cups) of fresh water over all ingredients. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. As foam (scum) rises to the surface, use a spoon to skim it off and discard. Once most of the foam is removed, reduce the heat to medium-low. Maintain a gentle boil and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cook until the beans are tender and begin to break apart.
Add the peeled and cut potatoes and the canned coconut milk to the pot. Stir well to combine. Continue to cook the soup for another 15 minutes, maintaining a gentle boil.
While the soup cooks, prepare the spinner dumplings. In a separate medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and 60 ml (0.25 cup) of water. Mix thoroughly until a soft, smooth dough forms. You may add a pinch of salt if desired. Cover the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. Pinch off small pieces of dough, about 1 tablespoon (15ml) each. Roll each piece between your palms to form a thin, finger-like shape, about 2 inches (5 cm) long.
Carefully drop the shaped dumplings into the simmering soup. Stir gently to ensure the dumplings do not stick together. Increase the heat slightly to bring the soup back to a rolling boil. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if necessary. The salted pigtail often provides enough salt. Serve hot.