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Jamaican oxtails

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Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Oxtail Pelau.

1 Comment on The Ultimate Oxtail Pelau.

I speak a LOT about comfort food and dishes which takes me back to a place and time in the Caribbean where life was GRAND. I was a carefree lil man, mommy spoiled us tremendously (especially at dinner time) and Caribbean everyday life was just joyous. I wish my children would have known/experienced that kind upbringing. Canada nice, but that life was SWEET (as we say).

You’ll Need…

5 lbs oxtails (trimmed)
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 seasoning pepper (pimento or roulette)
1 large onion (diced)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoon golden (light) brown sugar
1 large carrot (sliced)
4 sprigs thyme
2 scallions (chopped)
2 cups coconut milk
6-8 cups water divided
2 1/2 cups par-boiled brown rice
1 1/2 cup diced pumpkin
2 stalks celery (diced)
10-12 okra (cut in rings)
1 1/2 cups pigeon peas
1/3 lb baby spinach
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Important! Please get your butcher to cut your oxtail into 1 inch pieces as you home knife or cleaver will not be able to cut through the bones. Be sure to trim off all excess fat and discard. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the Scotch Bonnet Pepper.

Use the juice of the lemon and cool water (not mentioned in the ingredient list) to wash the pieces of oxtail and try your best to trim off as much of the fat as you can. The saw the butcher will use to cut it, will leave-back a gritty bone dust.

Place the washed and drained oxtail pieces in a large bowl and season with the salt, black pepper, ketchup, Worchester sauce, onion, scotch bonnet pepper (adjust to your preference), seasoning pepper (optional) and Caribbean Green Seasoning. Mix well and set aside to marinate for a couple hours. Overnight is best.

In a large heavy pot on high flame, add the coconut oil (use any oil you want, I just luv the flavor of the coconut oil in this dish) followed by the brown sugar. This is the ‘stewing” process and rest assured it will not sweeten the dish. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then deep amber (NOT BLACK), this is when you add the seasoned oxtails to the pot. Yea marinade and all. Add a few pieces at a time and stir to coat. Watch the video below to see this step.

As it comes to a boil, reduce to low and cover the pot. Yes it will spring it’s own juices.

After 15 minutes, it’s time to further develop color and flavor by burning off all that natural liquid. Heat on high now and lid off.

When all the liquid is gone and you see the oil we started with (it will take about 5-7 minutes), it’s time to add the fresh thyme, scallions, carrot and grated ginger. Give it a stir. please note that the ginger will have a fiery note. Pour in the coconut milk and 2 cups of water (swish that water in the same bowl you marinated the oxtail in to pick up any marinade remnants).

In about 5 minutes on high heat it will come to a boil, reduce the heat to low, lid on and allow this slowly cook.

2 1/2 hours later, the oxtail is tender. BUT.. be mindful, depending on the age of the animal when it was harvested, it may take longer to go tender. Adjust the cooking time to suit. I paid a bit expensive at the butcher for this batch as he said “tender – cook quickly”.. with his Eastern European accent.

Now add the pumpkin, okra (yes, not traditional… however you want this), pigeon peas, celery and carrot. Stir, then add the washed rice. Basically washing rice means to rinse with cool water, drain and repeat until the water runs clear.

Heat on high at this point. Add the remaining water and bring to a boil. Toss in the spinach as this point as well. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a rolling boil and lid OFF.

Basically all you’re waiting for now is the rice to go tender, plump and most of the liquid to burn off. It will take about 25 minutes or so. BUT.. here is where you get to personalize things a bit. Check the salt and adjust to your liking and once the rice is tender you have the option to burn off all the liquid and get a “Dry” Pelau, or do like me and go ‘Wet”. Meaning it’s a bit moist and runny. In the pics below it’s WET, but it did dry up a bit more as the residual heat from the pot further thickened things up. As you turn off the stove, top with the parsley.

Besides having Team “Wet” vs Team “Dry” when it’s comes to this classic one-pot masterpiece from the Caribbean, the overall color is also a major talking point when it comes to Pelau. Some people like it much darker than what you see in the images, but in my defense the 2 massive overhead camera lights did brighten up the pics more than what they were naturally. Getting it darker is something we’ll discuss in another Pelau recipe. Serve HOT!

At the beginning I talked about how much I enjoyed being born and growing up in the Caribbean.. know that I do enjoy and give thanks for my life in Canada as well.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Ultimate Guinness Braised Oxtails.

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I shared a similar recipe for Oxtails slowly cooked in Guinness back when the website was relatively new in 2009. However I received several requests for an updated version the past few months, so I decided to revisit the recipe and tweak it a bit.

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs oxtails (cut/trimmed)
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 stalks celery (diced)
1 large onion (diced)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 1/2 cups Guinness Extra Stout
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
5 allspice berries (pimento)
1 teaspoon salt
2 large carrots (cut into wheels)
2-3 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Cut the oxtail into 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces (ask your butcher) and trim away any excess fat, then wash with water and lemon juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Drain well / pat dry.

Now dust in flour, then go into the heated oil (medium flame) and brown as best you can on all sides. Try to use a heavy pot for best results.

Please do this in batches as to not crowd the pot. Basically we need a little color and to seal in the juices in the meat. Set aside as you brown them off.

In the same pot on a low heat setting (add more oil if the pot is dry) add the onion and celery. Then add the garlic along with the black pepper and cook for 3 minutes or so.

Add the pimento (all spice ) berries and tomato paste – stir well. Cook a further 2-3 minutes on low heat. Cooking the tomato paste at this point will help it to caramelize and bring out the natural sugars.

Add the oxtails we browned off earlier and any juices in the bowl. Heat up to medium/high, add the salt, then the Guinness and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the niceness on the bottom. We’ll need more braising liquid, so it’s time for the beef stock and bring to a boil.

Now add the Caribbean Green Seasoning, carrots and bay leaf. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, add the brown sugar and allow it to braise for 2.5 to 3 hours (in extreme case it may take 4-4.5 hrs). Or until tender. I had the lid on, but slightly ajar. Remember to stir every 15-20 minutes and keep an eye on the level of liquid in case you need to add more stock or water.

Two ways to personalize it is to taste and adjust the salt to your liking (we taste for salt near the end as the beef stock you use may be heavy in sodium). Then check to make sure the oxtail is a s tender as you like, if not cook it a little longer. Cooking time will vary according to how big the pieces of oxtail were cut and how old the cow was that the oxtails came from.

Turn off the stove, remove the bay leaves and toss in the parsley. If there’s any fat at the surface, be sure to skim off and discard (NOT down your sink).

When I do such low and slow dishes I like doubling up on the recipe and making enough to freeze for a later day when I need to get my Stewed Oxtail craving sorted out.

If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Slowcooker Oxtail Recipe.

1 Comment on The Ultimate Slowcooker Oxtail Recipe.

slowcooker stewed oxtails (1)

With the overwhelming success (and demand for more crockpot recipes) of the Slow-cooker Curry Goat recipe, I thought I’d share another Caribbean classic done in the very same crock-pot (slow-cooker). Fall off the bone tender oxtail, in a rich stew gravy like moms and grandma make, but in a slowcooker. Seasoned as we’d normally do in the Caribbean, these oxtails are slowly braised for tenderness and to infuse every piece with tons of mouth-watering flavor. Set it and forget it.. the perfect recipe for busy (and lazy) individuals.

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs oxtails (cut, trimmed and washed with water and lime or lime juice)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 scotch bonnet (optional)
2 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated tomato)
4 sprigs thyme
1 large tomato (diced)
2 scallions (chopped)
3-5 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium onion (diced)
1/2 teaspoon Caribbean Browning
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 star anise
1 large carrot (cut into thick wheels)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 Bay-leaf
1 beef cube (stock)
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce, browning and Worcestershire sauce. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling Scotch Bonnet peppers.

Place the prepared oxtails (get your butcher to cut it for you – 1 inch pieces) into a large bowl or in the crock pot you’ll be using. For better results you can season and marinate this overnight. I didn’t.

slowcooker stewed oxtails (4)

slowcooker stewed oxtails (3)

Add the salt, dark soy, grated ginger, tomato paste (puree), Caribbean Green Seasoning, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, scallions, garlic, onion, carrot, tomato, star anise, scotch bonnet, Caribbean Browning, 1 beef stock cube and water. Mix and marinate if you want.

slowcooker stewed oxtails (5)

slowcooker stewed oxtails (6)

slowcooker stewed oxtails (7)

Set the slowcooker to high and add the bay leaf and brown sugar. Cover and let it cook on high for 5 1/2 hours or until fork tender. Times may vary depending on how thick you cut your oxtails, how old the cow was when butchered and the temperature of your slowcooker.

slowcooker stewed oxtails (8)

After 5 1/2 hrs, taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Remove the pieces of oxtails and big pieces of carrots and set aside. Pour the gravy into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce by about 30%, then use a whisk or potato masher and break everything up in the pan to thicken. Being careful, strain so all the thick stuff is removed and you have a smooth sauce. Bring back to a simmer and add the parsley. Adjust the salt if you wish. (watch the video below to follow along).

slowcooker stewed oxtails (9)

slowcooker stewed oxtails (10)

Pour 1/2 (or all) onto the oxtails we set aside and the rest can be saved to a gravy boat to pour onto any starch you serve these tasty oxtails with.

slowcooker stewed oxtails (11)

slowcooker stewed oxtails (2)

 

Packed with tasty Caribbean flavors and fork tender, there’s no easier way to make stewed oxtails. Your family, friends and tastebuds can thank me later (smile).

 

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

 

Recipe Card

The Ultimate Slow Cooker Oxtail
Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Caribbean Oxtails

Cuisine: , Courses: , Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Gluten Free Non Vegetarian S Slow Cooker
Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 5 hrs Total Time 5 hrs 15 mins
Diet:
B Beef

Description

Set-it-and-forget-it Caribbean-style oxtails slow-cooked with fragrant herbs, aromatics, and hearty gravy for melting tenderness.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
  1. In a slow cooker add Oxtail (4 pound).
  2. Season with Salt (3/4 tablespoon), Dark Soy Sauce (1 teaspoon), Fresh Ginger (1 teaspoon), Tomato Paste (2 tablespoon), Green Caribbean Seasoning (1 tablespoon), Worcestershire Sauce (1 teaspoon), Ground Black Pepper (1/4 teaspoon), Fresh Thyme (4 sprig), Scallion (1 bunch), Garlic (3 clove) and Onion (1).
  3. Add in the Tomato (1), Carrot (1), Star Anise (1), Bay Leaf (1), Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1), West Indian Browning (1/2 teaspoon), Beef Stock Cube (1) and Water (1/2 cup).
  4. Mix everything well and add Brown Sugar (1 1/2 teaspoon).
  5. Set your slow cooker on high and let it cook for 5 1/2 hours.
  6. Remove the bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and star anise.
  7. Remove the meat from the gravy and set aside.
  8. Skim the fat off the gravy and add it to a pan set over medium heat.
  9. Whisk it continuously to reduce the sauce.
  10. Strain the gravy and reduce further. Add in the Fresh Parsley (1 tablespoon).
  11. Pour the sauce over the oxtail. Serve and enjoy!

Note

If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce, browning and Worcestershire sauce. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling Scotch Bonnet peppers.

Place the prepared oxtails (get your butcher to cut it for you – 1 inch pieces) into a large bowl or in the crock pot you’ll be using. For better results you can season and marinate this overnight. I didn’t.

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Meat & Poultry Soups & Stews

Slow-Braised Coconut Oxtail Stew with Navy Beans

3 Comments on Slow-Braised Coconut Oxtail Stew with Navy Beans

As the chill of winter sets in, there’s nothing more comforting than a hearty, slow-cooked stew. This coconut-stewed oxtail dish brings together the rich, savory flavors of traditional Caribbean cooking with the creamy goodness of coconut milk. Once considered a ‘poor man’s’ meal, oxtails have become a sought-after delicacy, and this recipe showcases them at their best—tender, flavorful, and falling off the bone.

Stewed oxtails on a red soup pot on stove

Ingredient Guide

  • Oxtail: A flavorful cut of beef from the tail, known for its rich taste and gelatinous texture when slow-cooked. If unavailable, turkey neck can be a suitable substitute.
  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper: A fiery chili pepper common in Caribbean cuisine. Use with caution, and remove seeds to reduce heat.
  • Caribbean Green Seasoning: A blend of fresh herbs and spices, including scallions, thyme, garlic, and parsley. Adds depth and authentic Caribbean flavor.
  • Angostura Bitters: A concentrated bitters made from herbs and spices. Optional, but adds complexity to the dish.
  • Navy Beans: Small, white beans that become creamy when cooked. Soak overnight before using.
  • Allspice Berries: Also known as pimento, these berries impart a warm, clove-like flavor. Remove before serving.

Shopping Made Easy

  • Oxtail: Available at most butcher shops or international markets. Look for well-trimmed pieces with minimal fat.
  • Scotch Bonnet Peppers: Found in the produce section of Caribbean or Latin grocery stores. Habanero peppers can be used as a substitute.
  • Caribbean Green Seasoning: Often sold pre-made in Caribbean markets, or make your own using fresh herbs.
  • Angostura Bitters: Available in the cocktail mixers section of many supermarkets.
  • Navy Beans: Commonly found in the dry beans aisle of most grocery stores.

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

  • Marinating: For best results, marinate the oxtails overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply.
  • Browning Sugar: Watch the sugar carefully as it caramelizes to avoid burning, which can impart a bitter taste.
  • Oven Cooking: Ensure your pot is oven-safe, and check the stew periodically to maintain the desired liquid level.
  • Serving: This dish pairs wonderfully with rice and peas or steamed white rice to soak up the rich gravy.

What can I use instead of oxtail?

If oxtail is unavailable or too expensive, turkey necks are a great alternative. They offer a similar texture and absorb flavors well.

How spicy is this dish?

The heat level depends on the amount of scotch bonnet pepper used. For a milder dish, use less pepper or remove the seeds.

Can I use canned beans instead of dried navy beans?

Yes, canned navy beans can be used. Add them later in the cooking process to prevent them from becoming too soft.

Is it necessary to use Angostura bitters?

Angostura bitters add depth to the flavor but are optional. The dish will still be delicious without them.

How do I store leftovers?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Stewed oxtails on a red soup pot on stove
Print Recipe

Slow‑Braised Coconut Oxtail Stew with Navy Beans

Cuisine: Courses: , Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Non Vegetarian
Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 3 hrs Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6

Description

This coconut-stewed oxtail recipe combines the rich, savory flavors of Caribbean cooking with the creamy richness of coconut milk. Slow-braised until tender, the oxtails are infused with aromatic herbs and spices, making this dish a true island comfort food.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

  1. In a large bowl, combine the oxtails with diced onion, grape tomatoes, diced scotch bonnet pepper, Caribbean green seasoning, salt, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, black pepper, and Angostura bitters (if using). Mix well to coat the oxtails evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). In a heavy, oven-safe pot, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the brown sugar and stir continuously with a dry spoon until it melts, becomes frothy, and turns an amber color.

  3. Quickly add the marinated oxtails to the pot, including any marinade juices. Stir well to coat the oxtails in the caramelized sugar. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes.

  4. Remove the lid and increase the heat to high. Cook until the liquid reduces and the oxtails are evenly browned. This process enhances the flavor and color of the dish. to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

  5. Add the soaked navy beans (discard soaking water), chopped scallion, minced garlic, thyme sprigs, water, coconut milk, and allspice berries to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil.

  6. Cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 3.5 hours, checking occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk to maintain the desired consistency.

  7. Once the oxtails are tender and the beans are cooked, remove the pot from the oven. Discard the thyme sprigs and allspice berries. Skim off any excess oil from the surface. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

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