Jamaican Oxtail
By Jillian AtkinsonPublished on August 23, 2021
Time
5 hours, plus 4 hours marinating
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Oxtail
5 pounds oxtails, 2 to 2½ inches thick, trimmed2 onions, halved and sliced thin10 sprigs fresh thyme 2 scallions, crushed with side of knife, then chopped2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon table salt 1 tablespoon pepper 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 3 garlic cloves, chopped1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 8 whole allspice berries 6 cups hot water 1 Scotch bonnet chile 1 (15.5-ounce) can butter beans, rinsed¼ cup ketchupBrowning
¼ cup sugar ¼ cup hot waterBefore You Begin
Plan ahead: The oxtails need to marinate for at least 4 hours before cooking. Note that the oxtail marinade is reserved and added to the pot in step 9. We call for using dark soy sauce here, which is thicker and slightly sweeter than regular soy sauce. Search for it online or at an Asian grocery store. Butter beans are also called baby lima beans. If you can't find them canned, you can substitute 1½ cups (about 8 ounces) of frozen beans. You can substitute a habanero chile for the Scotch bonnet chile, if desired. It's important to have the hot water called for in step 6 ready to add as soon as the sugar has properly browned. The wide time range for the reduction in step 10 accounts for the varying heating capabilities of different stovetops. Be sure to reduce the liquid until it has thickened and is just below the surface of the oxtails.
Instructions
- Place oxtails in large bowl and fill with cold water. Agitate to remove any loose bone and fat fragments. Drain and repeat, then drain again.
- Add onions, thyme sprigs, scallions, vinegar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, granulated garlic, and allspice berries to bowl with oxtails and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Brush marinade off oxtails and transfer oxtails to plate; reserve marinade to use in step 9.
- Add sugar to center of large Dutch oven. Place pot over medium-low heat and cook, without stirring, until edges of sugar begin to liquefy and turn golden, about 4 minutes. Using long-handled wooden spoon or heat-resistant rubber spatula, pull edges of melted sugar inward to help melt remaining sugar.
- Continue to cook until sugar turns dark chocolate brown, 4 to 6 minutes longer, stirring often for even cooking. (Browning will smoke; we recommend turning on your hood vent.)
- Carefully add ¼ cup hot water to browning (mixture will sputter and let off steam) and stir to incorporate. Simmer until reduced by half and large bubbles break surface, 1½ to 2 minutes.
- Add oxtails to browning and increase heat to medium-high (pot will be crowded). Cook, turning oxtails frequently, until oxtails have picked up significant color from sugar-based browning, some fond has begun to form on bottom of pot, and most moisture has cooked off to point where sizzling can be heard, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add 6 cups hot water to pot and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook at strong simmer for 2½ hours, stirring and turning oxtails occasionally.
- Stir reserved marinade into pot. Poke small hole in Scotch bonnet with tip of paring knife and add to pot. Cover and continue to simmer until largest oxtails are fork-tender and meat begins to fall easily off bone, about 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally and being mindful to not burst Scotch bonnet as you stir.
- Stir in butter beans and continue to simmer, covered, until meat falls easily off bone, about 30 minutes longer. Stir in ketchup and cook, uncovered, until liquid has thickened and reduced to just below surface of oxtails, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve.
for the oxtail
for the browning
Time
5 hours, plus 4 hours marinatingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Oxtail
Browning
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Oxtail
Browning
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Oxtail
Browning
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Jillian Atkinson, a photographer and food writer living in Brooklyn, New York, reminisces fondly about her grandmother's oxtail. Jillian was never shown how to make this dish through hands-on teaching. Instead, while she did her homework at her grandmother's kitchen table, Jillian absorbed her grandmother's every move and noted her every mumble, measuring with her eyes as she watched. A staple of Jamaican cuisine, oxtails are a cut from the tail of the cow that features a round bone surrounded by a small amount of tough meat. A long cooking time tenderizes the meat, extracts gelatin from the bone, and delivers a treasured stickiness that requires you to lick your lips while you eat.
Before You Begin
Plan ahead: The oxtails need to marinate for at least 4 hours before cooking. Note that the oxtail marinade is reserved and added to the pot in step 9. We call for using dark soy sauce here, which is thicker and slightly sweeter than regular soy sauce. Search for it online or at an Asian grocery store. Butter beans are also called baby lima beans. If you can't find them canned, you can substitute 1½ cups (about 8 ounces) of frozen beans. You can substitute a habanero chile for the Scotch bonnet chile, if desired. It's important to have the hot water called for in step 6 ready to add as soon as the sugar has properly browned. The wide time range for the reduction in step 10 accounts for the varying heating capabilities of different stovetops. Be sure to reduce the liquid until it has thickened and is just below the surface of the oxtails.
Instructions
- Place oxtails in large bowl and fill with cold water. Agitate to remove any loose bone and fat fragments. Drain and repeat, then drain again.
- Add onions, thyme sprigs, scallions, vinegar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, granulated garlic, and allspice berries to bowl with oxtails and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Brush marinade off oxtails and transfer oxtails to plate; reserve marinade to use in step 9.
- Add sugar to center of large Dutch oven. Place pot over medium-low heat and cook, without stirring, until edges of sugar begin to liquefy and turn golden, about 4 minutes. Using long-handled wooden spoon or heat-resistant rubber spatula, pull edges of melted sugar inward to help melt remaining sugar.
- Continue to cook until sugar turns dark chocolate brown, 4 to 6 minutes longer, stirring often for even cooking. (Browning will smoke; we recommend turning on your hood vent.)
- Carefully add ¼ cup hot water to browning (mixture will sputter and let off steam) and stir to incorporate. Simmer until reduced by half and large bubbles break surface, 1½ to 2 minutes.
- Add oxtails to browning and increase heat to medium-high (pot will be crowded). Cook, turning oxtails frequently, until oxtails have picked up significant color from sugar-based browning, some fond has begun to form on bottom of pot, and most moisture has cooked off to point where sizzling can be heard, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add 6 cups hot water to pot and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook at strong simmer for 2½ hours, stirring and turning oxtails occasionally.
- Stir reserved marinade into pot. Poke small hole in Scotch bonnet with tip of paring knife and add to pot. Cover and continue to simmer until largest oxtails are fork-tender and meat begins to fall easily off bone, about 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally and being mindful to not burst Scotch bonnet as you stir.
- Stir in butter beans and continue to simmer, covered, until meat falls easily off bone, about 30 minutes longer. Stir in ketchup and cook, uncovered, until liquid has thickened and reduced to just below surface of oxtails, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve.
for the oxtail
for the browning
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