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Jamaican oxtail

Jamaican oxtail in a serving dish

Jamaican oxtail

Name: Jamaican oxtail
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 2 onions roughly chopped; 2 spring onions roughly sliced; 4 garlic cloves finely chopped; 2 tbsp ginger finely chopped; 12g thyme sprigs leaves picked (see tip below); 90ml soy sauce; 1kg oxtail ask your butcher to chop cut into 1-inch thick chunks; 3 tbsp cornflour; 2 tbsp sunflower oil; 2 scotch bonnet peppers (add more if you prefer more heat); cooked white rice or rice and peas

April Jackson

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Serves 4 - 6

Easy

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 2 hrs and 30 mins - 3 hrs

plus chilling

A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.6 ratingsRate

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Cook the oxtail low and slow in this recipe so it becomes beautifully tender and falls off the bone. The rich flavour is enhanced by herbs and spices

Dairy-free

Egg-free

High-protein

Low sugar

Nut-free

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Jamaican oxtail is a dish with roots in resilience and resourcefulness, originating from the working-class communities that made the most of inexpensive cuts of meat. Traditionally slow-cooked, the oxtail becomes tender, falling off the bone, with its rich flavour enhanced by herbs and spices. When I was younger I didn't like oxtail as I found the meat too gelatinous, now you will find me sucking the bones dry. I love this dish because it illustrates that the beauty of Jamaican food lies in the global influences that have created such unique cuisine. It is impossible not to see the Chinese influences in this dish with the use of soy sauce and ginger.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

2 onions

roughly chopped
2 spring onions

roughly sliced
4 garlic cloves

finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger

finely chopped
12g thyme sprigs

leaves picked (see tip below)
90ml soy sauce
1kg oxtail

ask your butcher to chop cut into 1-inch thick chunks
3 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 scotch bonnet peppers

(add more if you prefer more heat)

To serve

cooked white rice

or rice and peas

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Nutrition: (6)

kcal386
fat21g
saturates8g
carbs14g
sugars6g
fibre2g
protein35g
salt2.72g

Method

step 1

Tip the onions, spring onions, garlic, ginger, thyme, soy sauce, a large pinch of salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper into a bowl. Mix well and add the oxtail, turning to coat. Keep chilled overnight, or for at least 12 hrs.
step 2

When ready to cook, remove the oxtail from the marinade (reserve the marinade), put on a plate and dust lightly with the cornflour. Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole dish and sear each piece of oxtail on both sides, around 2-3 mins each side, working in batches. Set the oxtail aside on a plate, then pour the reserved marinade into the saucepan and cook for 2-3 mins, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits.
step 3

Return the oxtail to the pan then add enough water to just cover the meat, around 800ml should suffice. Mix in the scotch bonnets, then bring to boil. Cover and cook on low for 2 hrs 30 mins – 3 hrs until the meat slips off the bone. Season to taste and serve with cooked white rice, or rice and peas.

Recipe tips

To quickly take the leaves off thyme sprigs, thread the end of the sprig through the fine hole of a cheese grater and pull through.

If you can’t get your hands on oxtail, I have found that this recipe also works with short rib, which is a cheaper cut of meat, too.

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A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.6 ratings

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