Jamaican Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking, Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
Oxtail is marinated, seared, then braised for hours in a deep caramel-dark gravy with a whole Scotch bonnet for gentle heat, finished with carrots and butter beans.
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Method
- 1
Marinate the oxtail. Blend the small onion, spring onions and garlic with 4 tbsp of water to a purée. Rub the oxtail with the soy sauce, salt, pepper, dried thyme and allspice, pour the purée over the top, mix well, then cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours so the seasoning works its way into the meat.
- 2
Caramelise the sugar. Lift the oxtail out of the marinade, scraping any clinging purée back into the bowl to keep for later. Heat the casserole over medium heat, add the brown sugar and let it melt and darken to a very dark brown over 3-4 minutes, then carefully add the oil, as it will splutter. This caramelised sugar is what gives the finished stew its deep, almost mahogany colour.
- 3
Sear the oxtail. Raise the heat to medium-high and brown the oxtail in 2-3 batches, about 4-5 minutes a side, turning the heat down if the sugar starts to catch and burn. Set the browned pieces aside once all the batches are done.
- 4
Build the braise. Soften the chopped onion and ginger in the pot for 3 minutes, stir in the tomato purée for 30 seconds, then return the oxtail along with the reserved marinade, the whole Scotch bonnet, thyme sprigs and enough water to just cover everything. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer very gently for 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes, turning the pieces now and then, until the meat is soft and coming away from the bone. Keeping the Scotch bonnet whole lets it perfume the stew gently without turning it fiery, so take care it doesn't burst.
- 5
Add the vegetables. Spoon off as much fat as possible from the surface, or chill the stew overnight and lift off the set fat for an even cleaner result. Add the carrots and simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in the butter beans for a further 5 minutes, before adding the cornflour mixture and simmering for 2 minutes until the gravy turns glossy and thick.
- 6
Serve. Remove the Scotch bonnet and thyme stalks, then serve the oxtail and its rich gravy over rice. The butter beans soak up the gravy and add a creamy contrast to the tender meat.
Storage
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate for up to 3 days, and reheat until piping hot (74°C) throughout before serving.
Equipment
- large heavy casserole (Dutch oven, 6 litres) with lid
- tongs
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- large spoon for skimming
- blender
- large bowl or food bag
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1256 kcal |
| Protein | 39.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 92.2 g |
| of which sugars | 11.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 6.1 g |
| Fat | 80.2 g |
| of which saturates | 32.3 g |
| Fibre | 7.3 g |
| Salt | 2.47 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
