Jamaican Oxtail Stew with Butter Beans

Steps

1. Step 1

   Rinse the oxtail pieces and pat them very dry. In a large bowl, toss them with the browning sauce, soy sauce, all-purpose seasoning, ground allspice, black pepper and garlic powder until every piece is coated. Let sit 20 minutes at room temperature (or cover and refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor).

   20 min, hands-off

   • 3 lb oxtail
   • 1 tbsp browning sauce
   • 1 tbsp soy sauce
   • 2 tsp all-purpose seasoning (or seasoned salt)
   • 1 tsp ground allspice (pimento)
   • 1 tsp black pepper
   • 1 tsp garlic powder
2. Step 2

   Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the oxtail in two batches, without crowding, about 4 minutes per side, until deeply dark on all surfaces. Move the browned pieces to a plate.

   16 min

   • 3 lb oxtail
   • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
3. Step 3

   Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, carrot, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, for 5 minutes, until the onion softens.

   5 min

   • 1 yellow onion
   • 1 carrot
   • 4 cloves garlic
   • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
4. Step 4

   Return the oxtail and any juices to the pot. Add the thyme sprigs, allspice berries, whole scotch bonnet, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, browning sauce and the broth. The liquid should nearly cover the meat; add a little water if needed. Bring to a boil.

   5 min

   • 3 lb oxtail
   • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
   • 1 tsp whole allspice berries (pimento)
   • 1 scotch bonnet pepper
   • 3 tbsp ketchup
   • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   • 1 tsp browning sauce
   • 4 cups beef broth or water
5. Step 5

   Cover, lower the heat to a bare simmer and cook for 3 hours, stirring every 45 minutes or so and topping up with a splash of water if it ever looks dry. Don't burst the scotch bonnet unless you want serious heat. The oxtail is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone.

   3 hr, hands-off

6. Step 6

   Lift out and discard the scotch bonnet and the bare thyme stems. Skim the fat from the surface with a spoon. If the gravy is thin, uncover and boil it for 10 minutes to reduce, or stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water and stir that in, simmering 2 minutes until glossy and sticky.

   10 min

   • 1 tbsp cornstarch
7. Step 7

   Stir in the butter beans and the white parts of the scallions. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to heat through, then taste and add salt as needed.

   5 min

   • 1 can butter beans (15 oz)
   • 2 scallions
   • salt
8. Step 8

   Spoon the oxtail and plenty of gravy over rice or rice and peas, and scatter the green scallion tops over the top.

   • 2 scallions
   • 4 cups cooked rice or rice and peas

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026