A hearty, savoury dish made from oxtail cooked with butter beans, onions, garlic, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper. It’s rich, tender, and full of flavour. Oxtail is commonly served in Jamaican restaurants, and spots like Pepper’s and The Sugar Mill in Montego Bay serve excellent versions.
Ingredients:
2 lbs oxtail, cut into pieces
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp allspice (pimento)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions (green onions), chopped
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
2 cups beef broth or water
1 cup butter beans (canned or dried, pre-soaked)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Marinate the oxtail in the aforementioned seasonings, along with browning for an hour or 2 or leave overnight. Then brown the oxtail without the seasonings first:
Brown the oxtail pieces in a large pot over medium heat. Set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the onion, garlic, and scallions for 5 minutes.
Add the browned oxtail back to the pot, along with soy sauce, browning, brown sugar, allspice, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper.
Pour in the beef broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours until the oxtail is tender.
Add the butter beans and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with rice and peas.