BROWN STEW OXTAILS

Brown Stew Oxtails

Brown Stew Oxtails

My low and slow, super flavorful, super tender oxtail recipe…

Yield: 4-6 servings

PREP IT!     

  • 5 pounds Oxtails, cleaned and trimmed

For Marinade 4 hours or overnight (overnight tastes better):

For Browning:

  • 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons Sugar, granulated

For Recipe:

  • 2 cups Yellow onion, chopped

  • 4 teaspoons Garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon Ginger, fresh, minced

  • 3 stalks Green onions, chopped

  • 1 small Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped (habanero pepper)

  • 1 teaspoon Thyme, dried

  • 1 tablespoon Chicken bouillon powder

  • 4 cups (32 ounces) Chicken broth

  • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch (for smooth oxtail gravy to add after straining)

  • 2 medium Carrots, chopped into large pieces

  • 1 large Bell pepper, any color or ¼ of 3 different colored bell peppers (sliced)

  • 1 can Butter beans

MAKE IT!

  1. Trim oxtails of excess fat. This will prevent your gravy from being overly oily; some oil is good. Rinse oxtails with water and lemon juice or lime juice to make sure they are extra clean after trimming.

  2. Season oxtails with Taste Tutor Seasoning 101, thyme, pimento seed, paprika, cayenne pepper, basil, cumin, garlic, soy sauce, browning, and Caribbean Green Seasoning. Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight in fridge. Overnight is better; I marinade in a tightly sealed freezer bag.

  3. Once oxtails are marinated, wipe off any excess marinade. Set marinade aside.

  4. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add sugar and allow to cook until it begins to turn caramel in color (don’t allow it to smoke) - about 2-3 minutes.

  5. Add the oxtails to the pot, working in batches, flipping once one side is browned to cover them with the caramelized sugar. Repeat this step for all sides until the oxtail pieces are well-coated with the caramelized sugar and nicely browned.

  6. Remove oxtails and set aside. Add onions, garlic, ginger, green onions, scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, chicken bouillon powder, and sauté for 5 mins, until onions are translucent and most of the brown bits come up off the bottom of the pot.

  7. Then add the remaining marinade into the pot.

  8. Add chicken broth and stir well, bringing everything to a boil. Add back the oxtails and cook for 3 hours, covered, stirring every 30 minutes on medium-low to low heat. After 3 hours, remove oxtails from the pot and set aside.

  9. For Extra Smooth Oxtail Gravy: If desired, do your best to scrape any excess oil from the top of the broth (also see tip below if you’ve got time). Then strain the broth through a strainer so that only the broth and flavor comes through.

  10. In a small cup, stir together the cornstarch and a small amount of the broth to create a slurry. Pour the broth and slurry back into the pot. Bring to a boil to create the gravy. It will slightly thicken. Add in the carrots, peppers, and oxtails. Turn gravy down to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 more minutes or until oxtails are to desired tenderness, stirring often.

  11. At this stage the meat should be falling off bone and should be tender: if not cook longer.

  12. Finally add butter beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Tip: If you’ve got the time and your oxtails are way too oily, remove oxtails and place on a separate plate. Allow broth to cool in fridge. Once fat solidifies, remove it from top of broth prior to continuing with steps 9-12.

Reheat leftovers: on the stove top or in the microwave.