Jamaican Oxtail Stew

Jamaican Oxtail Stew

Jamaican Oxtail Stew is a two day marathon of cooking but well worth it in the end. Oxtails used to be obtained from an ox but nowadays they are beef tails. Since oxtails have become popular, like many unusual cuts of meat, they have become pricey.

3-5 pounds oxtail (beef tail) rinsed to remove any bone fragments
1 yellow onion chopped medium
5 garlic cloves micro-minced
1 inch fresh ginger peeled and micro-minced
2 scallions smashed and cut into small slices
1/4 cup brown sugar, sorghum, or cane syrup
2 tablespoons gluten free soy or aminos
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
juice of one lime 
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste

Have butcher cut oxtails into 2 inch pieces. Rinse oxtails and drain, then put in non-reactive bowl to marinate. Add all ingredients and stir well and refrigerate covered overnight. The next day remove oxtails from marinade, scraping off excess marinade, set aside oxtails to brown, reserving marinade liquid and ingredients.

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sorghum or cane syrup
4 tablespoons catsup (I substituted some chopped fresh tomatoes)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 whole scotch bonnet or habanero pepper pierced
(I substituted 2 teaspoons of dried aji amarillo pepper powder)
6 to 8 cups water, bone or beef stock
1/2 bunch parsley chopped medium
2 cans cooked butter beans (authentic to Jamaican Oxtail Stew)
I did add 5 ounces of chopped fresh mushrooms I had to use up
1-1/2 tablespoon corn starch mixed with broth from stew
adjust spices, herbs and seasonings

Put 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a stovetop coated cast iron pot. Do not add any oil. I am using a large heavy corning ware pot. Turn on heat to low and wait for sugar to start to turn brown on the edges. Basically we are making browning. Don't worry this much sugar will not make your dish sweet, it will just allow the meat to brown very well. Be careful the sugar mixture is very hot.

When sugar starts to brown on the edges, use a wooden spatula to bring the edges of sugar to the middle stirring so it doesn't burn. When sugar is evenly browned, pour in water, standing back since mixture is very hot. When mixture is thoroughly mixed add each oxtail to the pot to brown each side as you go.

When oxtails are brown add marinade back into pot and add remaining ingredients except parsley and butter beans. Cook for 3 to 4 hours over medium low heat on top of the stove till meat is falling off the bone. Taste gravy periodically and if it is getting too hot, remove whole pepper, or if not spicy enough add more powdered pepper or leave whole pepper in.

Towards the end of cooking add chopped parsley. Next add cornstarch slurry to thicken stew. Last add butter beans to warm them through and serve with rice, some crusty bread, or just as is. Eating them plain is like eating a plate full of short ribs only much tastier and fragrant. My whole house smells like Jamaican Oxtail Stew just like in a grandmother's kitchen. Enjoy!