Delicious Jamaican Oxtail
Delicious Jamaican Oxtail
Ingredients
For Cleaning the Oxtail
- 3 pounds oxtails
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons, or use vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt, for washing/cleaning
For the Seasoning & Marinade
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon browning sauce, use lightly
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 yellow onion, medium, diced
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced, optional
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 Scotch bonnet peppers, chopped, for the marinade
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, adjust later after tasting
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oxtail seasoning, or all-purpose seasoning
For Cooking
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups water
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole, left whole or lightly pierced
- 2 carrots, medium, chopped, optional
- 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaves, optional
Instructions
- 1
Place the oxtails in a large bowl or directly in the sink. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes or 2 lemons (or use vinegar) over the oxtails. Add a generous amount of salt. Rub the oxtails thoroughly with the citrus juice and salt. Rinse the oxtails under cold running water multiple times until the water runs clear and the oxtails are clean.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Dice the yellow onion, slice the scallions, dice the green bell pepper, and optionally dice the red bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Grate the fresh ginger (or measure out ground ginger). Chop the Scotch bonnet peppers for the marinade.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Place the cleaned oxtails in a large bowl. Add the diced yellow onion, sliced scallions, diced green bell pepper, optional diced red bell pepper, minced garlic, and chopped Scotch bonnet peppers. Add Worcestershire sauce, Maggi seasoning (or soy sauce), browning sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup. Incorporate fresh thyme (or dried thyme), ground allspice, black pepper, salt, and optionally garlic powder and onion powder. Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand, ensuring the oxtails are well-coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. For best results, marinate overnight.
⏱️ 10 min
- 4
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated oxtail pieces in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Sear each piece until well-browned on all sides. Remove the browned oxtail pieces and set aside.
⏱️ 20 min
- 5
Return all the browned oxtail pieces to the pot. Pour any remaining marinade from the bowl over the oxtails. Add water to the pot. If there's marinade residue in the bowl, add some water to the bowl, swirl it around to collect the flavors, and then pour it into the pot. Add the whole Scotch bonnet pepper (left whole or lightly pierced) and optionally the bay leaves.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours on the stovetop, or 1.5 hours in a pressure cooker, or until the oxtail is rich and fall-off-the-bone tender. Check periodically and add more water if needed to keep the oxtail submerged and prevent drying out.
⏱️ 120 min
- 7
Once the oxtail is tender, add the chopped carrots (optional) and the drained and rinsed butter beans to the pot.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Cover the pot again and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt or other seasonings as needed.
⏱️ 20 min
- 9
Remove the whole Scotch bonnet pepper and bay leaves before serving. Serve the delicious Jamaican oxtail hot with your favorite sides, such as rice and peas.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Delicious Jamaican Oxtail
For Cleaning the Oxtail
- 3 pounds oxtails
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons, or use vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt, for washing/cleaning
For the Seasoning & Marinade
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon browning sauce, use lightly
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 yellow onion, medium, diced
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced, optional
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 Scotch bonnet peppers, chopped, for the marinade
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, adjust later after tasting
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oxtail seasoning, or all-purpose seasoning
For Cooking
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups water
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole, left whole or lightly pierced
- 2 carrots, medium, chopped, optional
- 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaves, optional
Instructions
- 1
Place the oxtails in a large bowl or directly in the sink. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes or 2 lemons (or use vinegar) over the oxtails. Add a generous amount of salt. Rub the oxtails thoroughly with the citrus juice and salt. Rinse the oxtails under cold running water multiple times until the water runs clear and the oxtails are clean.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Dice the yellow onion, slice the scallions, dice the green bell pepper, and optionally dice the red bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Grate the fresh ginger (or measure out ground ginger). Chop the Scotch bonnet peppers for the marinade.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Place the cleaned oxtails in a large bowl. Add the diced yellow onion, sliced scallions, diced green bell pepper, optional diced red bell pepper, minced garlic, and chopped Scotch bonnet peppers. Add Worcestershire sauce, Maggi seasoning (or soy sauce), browning sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup. Incorporate fresh thyme (or dried thyme), ground allspice, black pepper, salt, and optionally garlic powder and onion powder. Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand, ensuring the oxtails are well-coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. For best results, marinate overnight.
⏱️ 10 min - 4
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated oxtail pieces in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Sear each piece until well-browned on all sides. Remove the browned oxtail pieces and set aside.
⏱️ 20 min - 5
Return all the browned oxtail pieces to the pot. Pour any remaining marinade from the bowl over the oxtails. Add water to the pot. If there's marinade residue in the bowl, add some water to the bowl, swirl it around to collect the flavors, and then pour it into the pot. Add the whole Scotch bonnet pepper (left whole or lightly pierced) and optionally the bay leaves.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours on the stovetop, or 1.5 hours in a pressure cooker, or until the oxtail is rich and fall-off-the-bone tender. Check periodically and add more water if needed to keep the oxtail submerged and prevent drying out.
⏱️ 120 min - 7
Once the oxtail is tender, add the chopped carrots (optional) and the drained and rinsed butter beans to the pot.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Cover the pot again and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt or other seasonings as needed.
⏱️ 20 min - 9
Remove the whole Scotch bonnet pepper and bay leaves before serving. Serve the delicious Jamaican oxtail hot with your favorite sides, such as rice and peas.
⏱️ 5 min