Though not very popular in the Unites States, oxtails, whether from oxen or cows, are found in a variety of global cuisines. They don't contain much meat, but what is there amongst the bones is fatty, delicious, and full of collagen, making them great for stews and stocks. Originally eaten by the poor, oxtails, like many other "leftover cuts, have gained such popularity that they are now considered preferred cuts and much more expensive than even a decade ago. Today's recipe, Jamaican Oxtail Stew, is a classic Caribbean rendition of oxtail stew full of rich flavors cut with spicy highlights making for a delicious meal! I realize just the thought of eating the tail of cattle may be off putting to many of you, but trust me when I say these little cross-sections are packed full of flavor so don't be afraid to try new things once in a while. Besides, if the rest of the world is enjoying them than they must be worth checking out, eh? Let's Get Cooking!
The first step in making this delicious Jamaican Oxtail Stew is searing the oxtails. Generously season them with salt and pepper before tossing them in a large Dutch oven with cooking oil over Medium heat. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot and steam the oxtails. A couple minutes per side should be sufficient to establish a bit of color and initial flavor. Once seared, remove the oxtails and set aside for later. They will be further cooked so you can reuse the same initial bowl or just give it a quick rinse if you're paranoid of some sort of germs or contamination. I'm just trying to save on dishes, folks!
While the oxtails are searing, prep the onion by dicing it into small, bite-sized pieces. The green onion can be roughly chopped in quarter to half inch sized pieces. Just remember that we are making a stew so you don't want anything too small or it will turn to mush but you also want to keep everything within bite-size range to make enjoying it later on much easier. Anyway, once all the oxtail has been seared and set aside, a touch more cooking oil to the pot and toss in half the onion and green onion you just prepped. Saute the onions for about 4 minutes to start to soften them up. There still should be some salt and pepper in the pot from the oxtail, but if not feel free to season the onion as it cooks.
Next, add the minced ginger, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and allspice berries and continue cooking everything for about 3 minutes. An important note here, folks, is that you need to find actual allspice berries and not ground allspice. The berries pack much more flavor and will soften during this long cooking process. Using ground allspice will alter the final texture and flavor as it will fade during the cook. You should be able to find the berries at your local market alongside the ground allspice in the spice section. I had to check a couple different stores, but found it at the local grocery store whereas Walmart did not have it, go figure!
Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. This will turn our veggie mix into a roux, of sorts, which will help thicken our stew.
Once the flour has had a minute or so to cook, return the seared oxtails to the Dutch oven along with some beef stock and a couple Scotch Bonnet or Habanero chilies. Unless you like to breath fire, I highly suggest leaving the chilies whole and removing them later after they cook and flavor the stew. It will still be plenty spicy hot without overwhelming your tastebuds with heat instead of flavor. However, if you're a chili head, then by all means mince up your chilies and let it rip. I, myself, love a good spicy stew but opted to leave them whole and remove them at the end and thought this stew was still plenty spicy. Other than the chili option here, be sure to stir that "veggie roux" we just created with the beef stock so it can fully mix in and do its intended job as a flavorful thickening agent. Be sure there is enough beef stock to just about cover the oxtail. You may need to add some additional stock, water, or red wine if necessary.
Bring the pot up to a boil before lowering the temperature down to a Simmer and cooking for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
After an hour, add the remaining regular onion and green onion along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue simmering and stirring occasionally for 1 additional hour, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. If the meat is not done after the second hour of braising, then let it continue to cook another 30 minutes or so and it should be tender.
After the stew has simmered for 2 to 2.5 hours, remove the chilies and discard. The meat should be falling off the bone and the stew itself quit thick and hearty.
Drain the can of butter beans and add it to the stew as well. At this point, the stew is ready but let everything chill out for a bit as the beans come up to temperature and slightly soften. This gives everything a few more minutes to come together and really fortify all those flavors into the beans themselves.
30 minutes should be sufficient before serving this Jamaican Oxtail Stew over a bed of rice. The beans should have warmed through, but the stew itself should have cooled down enough to enjoy without scalding your tongue. This Jamaican Oxtail Stew sounds much more difficult and daunting than it really is so be sure to give it a try and let me know what you think. This recipe is a bit spicy and not exactly super cheap so I won't label it as kid friendly, but it is a great stay at home date night meal the next time you want to try something different and splurge a bit! This recipe itself is a very basic version so don't get all uptight and complain about its true authenticity with me, lol. I realize there are numerous other options to alter the overall final product, but this is a great starting point to not only introduce you to Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine but oxtails themselves, as well.....Just Keep Cooking!
JAMAICAN OXTAIL STEW
Commentaires