Jamaican Oxtail Stew

The Jamaican Oxtail Stew is a recipe I got off of the Internet and then modified to suit my own purposes. I prepared it with my Jamaican Coconut Rice, and it was marinated in the Jamaican Green Sauce. This dish serves 4-5 people, and was a real favorite, with some of it going home in a to-go box.

Ingredients

• About 3 pounds of oxtail segments
• 2 tablespoons of boiling water
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (I use Himalayan)
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 diced onions (white or yellow)
• 2 heads garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
• 1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 14 allspice berries
• 1 whole bunch green onions
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tablespoons Jamaican dark sauce
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1 10-ounce can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 large carrot (about 9 inches long and 2 inches think at the top)
  NOTE: Smaller carronts can be used, as long as they make up about the same volume.
• Jamaican Coconut Rice

Preparation

1. Marinate the oxtail segments in my Jamaican Green Sauce, a tablespoon of Worcestershire, and a teaspoon of angostura bitters, letting it sit covered in a refrigerator overnight
2. Remove from the refrigerator
3. Season oxtails with the salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly
4. Heat a large oven-capable pot or Dutch oven over high heat
5. Add the brown sugar to pot and melt, stirring until it darkens and starts to smoke (5-6 minutes)
   NOTE: Be careful not to fully burn the mixture, and be prepared for it to fluff up and caramelize.
6. When sugar is nearly black, add 2 tablespoons of boiling water (be careful of splattering)
7. Mix thoroughly
8. Add the oxtails to the pot, stirring and/or turning to cover them with the dark sugar mix, allowing them to cook until they are well browned on all sides
9. Set the browned oxtail segments aside in a bowl and keep warm
10. Add half the onions, garlic, ginger, whole pepper pepper, thyme, allspice berries, and a third of the scallions to the pot
11. Stir to combine
12. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until the ingredients have started to soften
13. Return the oxtails to the pot along with any accumulated juices
14. Add water into the pot so that the oxtails are almost submerged
15. Bring to a simmer (DO NOT BOIL) and cook, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally
16. Add remaining onions, garlic, and ginger to the pot, along with another third of the scallions
17. Add the carrots to the pot
18. Add sugar, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce
19. Stir to combine and cook for one hour
20. Remove approximately one cup of liquid from pot and place in a small bowl
21. Add flour to this liquid and stir to combine, working out any lumps with the back of a spoon
22. Add this slurry to the pot along with ketchup and the Jamaican dark sauce
23. Preheat the oven to 350
24. Take the full pot and carefully move it to the oven
25. Let the whole thing cook covered for one more hour
26. Remove the lid and let it cook for another 15 – 30 minutes
27. Remove Scotch bonnet pepper and thyme stems
28. Fold butter beans into the stew and allow these to heat through
29. Scatter remaining scallions over the top
30. Serve over/with Jamaican Coconut Rice