Jamaican Oxtail Stew (make-ahead, keeps 4–5 days)

Ingredients

Contains gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

1. 1

   Pat the oxtail pieces dry with paper towels and season evenly with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and the ground allspice.

2. 2

   Put the flour in a shallow bowl or plate; lightly dredge each oxtail piece in flour, shaking off excess.

3. 3

   Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering.

4. 4

   Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add oxtail pieces and sear until well browned on all sides, about 8–10 minutes per batch; transfer browned pieces to a plate.

   20 min
5. 5

   If the pot is dry, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

   5 min
6. 6

   Add the minced garlic and scallions and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

   2 min
7. 7

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

   1 min
8. 8

   Return all the browned oxtail to the pot, add the fresh thyme sprigs and the pierced Scotch bonnet pepper (keep whole for milder heat, or split and seed for more heat).

9. 9

   Pour in the beef broth and 1 cup water so the oxtails are mostly submerged; add the brown sugar and optional browning sauce, and bring to a gentle simmer.

10. 10

    Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the meat is very tender and falling from the bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

    Check at 90 minutes: if liquid is very low, add a little hot water to maintain coverage.

    150 min
11. 11

    Remove the lid, add the drained butter beans (if using), and simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes to thicken the sauce and heat the beans through.

    15 min
12. 12

    Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and more black pepper as needed; stir in lime juice if using, remove thyme stems and the whole Scotch bonnet before serving.

13. 13

    Let the stew cool to room temperature (no more than 2 hours) then refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat or in the oven until warmed through.