Jamaican oxtail stew • stewed oxtail the Jamaican way

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This Jamaican stew is heartwarming. Making the traditional oxtail stew takes some time, but as they say: "then you have something!". It is the ideal dish to make on the weekend. And the result… irresistibly soft and tasty stew. Perfectly seasoned, as they can in Jamaica.

What is oxtail?

Oxtail — or in English and Patois 'oxtail'—is the flesh of the tail of an ox. It is fantastic to use in soups or stews as it gives off a lot of flavor. That is not surprising: oxtail has to simmer gently for at least 3 hours to become completely tender. Then the meat releases all the gelatin and the connective tissue between the pieces of meat dissolves. The result is a buttery stew with meat that falls right off the bone.

This version of the oxtail comes from Jamaica. It's there what they call a 'national staple'† Together with a plate 'rice and peas' (compare with our arros moro) and some vegetables you have the perfect meal for the fall or winter. But let's be honest: this Jamaican oxtail stew can of course be used every day!

Oxtail stew in the slow cooker or pressure cooker

During the pressure cooker you can also prepare this oxtail well. You can then keep about a third of the indicated cooking time. The oxtail stew is ready in just over an hour.

And do you have a slow cooker? Then you don't have to worry about this dish at all! In the morning, the ingredients can be combined in the pan and in the evening a wonderfully fragrant dish awaits you. In that case I would let the oxtail stew on 'high' for about 8 hours (but this of course depends very much on which device you have!).

This recipe makes 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry you are

Ingredients:

1,5 Kg oxtail – cut into segments by the butcher
1 tl paprika
½ tl cumin
a pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
a piece of ginger the size of your thumb, grated
1 Madame Jeanette of Scotch Beanie peper
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
10 allspice berries
1 bunch spring onion, in rings
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp dark soy sauce of Soy Sauce Manis
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbsp wheat flour
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
200 gr (1 can) white beans, drained

In the photo: oxtail stew with arros moro (center), fried funchi (left), salad, plantain and spicy onions

Preparation Jamaican oxtail stew

Season the oxtail pieces generously with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle them with the paprika, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon.

Now heat a large stockpot (preferably cast iron!) over high heat. Put the brown sugar in the pan and let it caramelize. The sugar may melt and turn dark, but of course not burn. After 'burning' the sugar has a dark red color. Now lower the heat and add a splash of water to the sugar. Stir well until the caramel has dissolved in the water.

TIP: don't feel like that 'difficult' first step? You can also buy a bottle in Caribbean stores 'brown' to buy. Then they have already done this work for you in the factory!

Now add the pieces of oxtail and toss them until they are covered with a layer of the caramel and turn brown themselves. Then remove them from the pan and set them aside.

Now the onions, garlic and ginger are allowed to go into the pan. Then add the hot pepper, thyme, allspice and half of the spring onions. Stir everything together well and let them fry together for about 5 minutes.

Now add the pieces of oxtail to the vegetables and then add enough water to the pan so that the oxtail is just covered. Let the meat simmer for at least an hour and a half.

After this time, the sugar, soy sauce and Worchestershire Sauce can be added to the pan. Stir well again and then cook the oxtail until it falls off the bone. That's at least another hour and a half – or 3 hours in total.

Now remove a small cup of the liquid from the pan and let it cool down. Mix this with the flour and then pour it back into the pan. Now stir very well to avoid lumps! The flour will mix the liquid in the pan, making a nice sauce. Let the flour cook for another fifteen minutes and then add the tomato ketchup.

Remove the hot pepper from the pan and carefully toss the white beans through the oxtail stew. Serve the stew hot, with rice or 'rice and peas† Enjoy your dinner!