Oxtail Stew

Oxtail stew is a beautiful dish that's actually not as complicated as it sounds. With a stop at the grocery store, you'll be good to go in no time. A delectable, fall of the dish that will have you licking your fingers. Make it for you and a friend and that persons going to be coming back once a week for this. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 1-24 hours 
Cook Time: 2.5–3 hours
Total Time: 3–4 hours
Servings: 3-4 

Ingredients 

Oxtail Marinade 

1. 3 lb cleaned oxtail 
2. 2 tsp Jamaican browning
3. 2 tbsp brown sugar
4. 2 tbsp soy sauce
5. ¾ large onion, diced
6. 4 scallions, thinly sliced
7. 4 cloves garlic, mashed into paste
8. ½ inch ginger, mashed into paste
9. ¾ bell pepper, diced
10. 1 scotch bonnet pepper
11. 10 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
12. ¼ cup green seasoning *(See below) 
13. 1 tsp jerk seasoning
14. 8 allspice berries, crushed

Green Sauce

1. 1/2 bunch cilantro
2. 1/4 bunch parsley
3. 4 green onions
4. 5 cloves garlic
5. 1/2 inch piece of ginger
6. 1 shallot
7. 6 sprigs thyme
8. 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
9. 8 allspice seeds (grounded) 
10. 1 tsp kosher salt
11. 1/3 cup olive oil
12. 3 tbs cup lime juice

Cooking Ingredients  

1. 1.5 tbsp brown sugar for browning (optional)
2. 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
3. 2.5 tbsp ketchup
4. ~6 cups beef broth (enough to mostly cover oxtail)
5. ½ can butter beans
   
6. 2-3 tbs brown sugar to finish sauce (otpional) 

Directions: 

1. Marinate the Oxtail:
   In a large bowl, combine cleaned oxtail with all marinade ingredients. Mix thoroughly to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for best flavor.
   
   
2. Brown the Oxtail:
   In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat. Add 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar and let it melt and caramelize slightly. Sear the marinated oxtail pieces (leave marinated vegetables in the bowl but don’t toss it away) on all sides until browned. Remove the oxtail after searing and set aside. *(see notes)*
   
   
3. Sauté the Vegetables:
   In the same pot, add all the marinated vegetables from the oxtail. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and ketchup, mixing thoroughly for about 2-3 minutes.
   
   
4. Return Oxtail to Pot:
   Add the browned oxtail back into the pot. Toss to coat the meat well with the sautéed vegetables and sauce mixture.
   
   
5. Add Broth:
   Pour in enough beef broth to cover most of the oxtail (some small pieces sticking out is okay).
   
   
6. Simmer:
   Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the oxtail is tender but still holds onto the bone. Check occasionally to stir and add in more broth if needed. If you run out of broth, water is fine. Cooking time may differ depending on size of oxtail and flame temperature.
7. Finish with Butter Beans:
   Remove the lid and continue cooking until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Check for seasoning. For a thinner sauce, simmer for just a few minutes. For a thicker, richer sauce, simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the butter beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking and stir gently. *(see notes)

Notes: 

1. Step 2:  brownsugar browning is optional. You can just use oil and sear without brownsugar. 
2. Step 7: taste for seasoning. I prefer my sauce to have a both sweet and spicy taste so I added a bit more brown sugar to balance out the flavers. 
3. Step 7: simmer down to your preferd consistency. Less simmer for thinner sauces and more simmering for thicker sauce. 
4. Step 7: make sure not to simmer for too long where the oxtail becomes too fall off the bone. If that happens, your sauce will have alot of pieces of oxtail within it.