Jamaican Oxtail Stew

Oxtails, like many other “scraps” synonymous with peasant food because of its toughness, require lots of patience. These cuts found their way into the pots of the poor the world over because they have been historically very cheap. Eventually, gourmands discovered the deliciousness of these “inferior” bits. People who would normally have turned their nose up at such a lowly piece of meat have discovered the incredible flavors that are unlocked when someone takes the time and care to cook Jamaican Oxtail Stew with love.

One of my favorite ways to prepare oxtail is Jamaican oxtail stew. Since oxtail is very tough and contains lots of cartilage, it requires a long, slow braise to break it down into soft, succulent, beefy goodness. So, on a lazy afternoon, grab your Dutch oven and a few Red Stripes, turn on some Bob Marley, and discover the joy of creating something rich and decadent from such a tough cut of meat.

Sourcing Oxtail

The first thing you need to do is source some oxtail. Oxtail has become trendy in recent years and is finding its way onto the menus at many restaurants. This is great on one hand because it’s made it easier to find. On the other hand, this once cheap cut of meat is now steadily increasing in price. For this particular recipe, I found some great grass fed beef at my local farmers market. If you don’t have a farmers market nearby, your butcher or supermarket should stock it. You will need 2-3lbs of oxtail for this recipe. I got a bit carried away and forgot to take pictures of my oxtail before they went in the pot. Oops.

The Supporting Cast

Along with the oxtail you will need a supporting cast of ingredients. 2 chopped carrots, 1 chopped large yellow onion, 4 chopped green onions, 2 diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 TBS of whole pimento seeds (whole all spice), 1 bunch of fresh thyme, and last but certainly not least 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper.

Rinse your meat

After you’ve acquired the oxtail the next step you need to do is rinse the oxtail with cold water. Next, squeeze the juice out of one lemon and wash the meat with the lemon juice. After you’ve washed it, it’s time to season the meat. I use ½ TBS of Goya Blue Top all-purpose seasoning. Any all-purpose seasoning will work. I like the blue top Goya because it does not have any pepper in it. I like being able to control how much pepper I season the meat with. Then I add ½ TBS of black pepper, 1 TBS of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 1 TBS of browning sauce. Browning sauce is simply for color; it does not add any flavor to the meat. The browning sauce is optional if you can’t find it. The gravy in the stew will simply be a lighter color brown. I added it to mine because it’s simply the traditional way to cook this stew.

Mix the seasoning into the meat and make sure all the surfaces are coated. I like to let the meat sit in the marinade overnight in a Ziplock or vacuum bag. This step is optional. You can start cooking right away if you want.

Pass the dutchie

When you are ready to start cooking, heat a heavy bottom pot like a Cast Iron Dutch Oven on medium heat on your stove top with 2 TBS of vegetable oil. Place the meat in the Dutch oven and brown all sides of the oxtails. Be careful to save as much leftover marinade as possible. We will add it back in later.

After the oxtails are browned, remove them and set them aside. Add half of a chopped large yellow onion and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Cook the onions until they are translucent, being careful not to burn them.

After the onions are cooked, add in the oxtails, remaining marinade, one bunch of fresh thyme, 1 TBS of whole pimento seeds (whole allspice), and 1 scotch bonnet pepper cut in half with the seeds removed (habanero will substitute fine if you can’t find a scotch bonnet). I recommend wearing gloves when handling the scotch bonnet or habanero.

Next add in 2 cups of water. Then cover and boil the oxtails for one hour.

After the hour is up, add in two chopped carrots, two diced tomatoes, four chopped green onions, and the other half of your chopped large yellow onion.

Next, pour in one cup of water, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for another 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes are up, it’s time to add our last ingredient: butter beans. Butter beans are an essential part of this recipe. Butter beans are basically what we would call lima beans here in the states. They are one and the same so don’t freak out if you can’t find anything on the shelf called butter beans. Just grab a can of limas and you will be fine.

Enjoy your Jamaican Oxtail Stew

Add the beans and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the oxtails are fork tender. Once tender, I recommend you plate the dish on a bed of rice. Garnish with some chopped parsley and be sure wash it all down with another ice cold Red Stripe. Enjoy.

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