🇯🇲 Jamaican Oxtail
Jamaican oxtail is a rich, slow-braised Caribbean dish known for tender beef, deep savory gravy, and bold seasoning. It’s a staple in Jamaican home cooking and restaurants, often served with rice and peas.
Key Ingredients
- Oxtail (cut into thick sections)
- Browning sauce
- Fresh thyme
- Scallions (green onions)
- Garlic
- Scotch bonnet pepper
- Allspice (pimento)
- Onion
- Carrots
- Butter beans (kidney beans are sometimes substituted)
🍲 Traditional Cooking Method
1. Season & Marinate
Season oxtail with:
- Salt & black pepper
- Allspice
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Scallions
- Browning sauce
Marinate at least 2 hours (overnight preferred).
2. Brown the Meat
Sear oxtail in a heavy pot until deeply browned on all sides.
3. Slow Braise
- Add enough water or beef broth to cover.
- Add onion, thyme, and Scotch bonnet.
- Cover and simmer 2.5–3 hours (or pressure cook ~45 minutes) until fork-tender.
4. Finish
- Add carrots and butter beans in the last 20–30 minutes.
- Let sauce reduce into a thick, glossy gravy.
🍚 Serve With
- Rice and peas
- Fried plantains
- Steamed cabbage
- Jamaican festival (sweet fried dumplings)
🔥 Flavor Profile
- Deeply savory
- Slightly sweet from browning
- Warm spice from allspice
- Mild heat from Scotch bonnet
- Silky, rich gravy
If you’d like, I can give you:
- A slow cooker version
- An Instant Pot version
- A restaurant-style extra thick gravy method
- Or a lower-fat variation
