Jamaican Oxtail Stew with Butter Beans

By Sprig Originals ✓ · with credit

Adapted from aspicyperspective.com

Oxtails are seasoned with Worcestershire, brown sugar and allspice, browned hard, then simmered low for hours with thyme, a whole scotch bonnet and sweet peppers until the meat slides off the bone. Butter beans go in at the end to thicken the gravy into something worth spooning over rice.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds oxtails
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• salt and black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, left whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups beef broth

• 16 ounces canned butter beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

Instructions

1. Pile the oxtails into a large baking dish and add the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, allspice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Use your hands to rub the seasoning into every piece so each one is glossy and coated.
2. Set a heavy 6- to 8-quart pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. When it shimmers, brown half the oxtails for 2 to 3 minutes per side, shifting them around so the sugar in the marinade colours without scorching on the bottom. Lift them out and brown the second batch the same way, then remove all the meat to a plate.
3. Drop the onion and garlic into the same pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom as they soften.
4. Return the oxtails and any resting juices to the pot. Scatter the carrots, bell peppers, whole scotch bonnet, bay leaves and thyme over the top, then add the ketchup and apple cider vinegar and pour in the beef broth.
5. Cover with a heavy lid and cook on medium-low, at a slow steady simmer, for 2 to 3 hours. Check every 45 minutes or so and add a splash of water or broth if the liquid drops below the meat. It's ready when the oxtail pulls away from the bone with a fork.
6. Toss the drained butter beans with the cornstarch, then stir them into the stew. Simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes until the gravy thickens and coats a spoon.
7. Fish out the bay leaves and the scotch bonnet, taste the gravy and adjust the salt and pepper. Shower with chopped scallions and serve over rice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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