Jamaican oxtail stew

but with variations

Wish I was laying on the beach in Jamaica right now - the one at Goldeneye would be perfect but anywhere would be fine.

Here’s a view from our bedroom balcony door when we stayed there:

https://www.goldeneye.com/stay/

As we were checking in Jimmy Buffet was just leaving - it’s that sort of place. There was some big tennis dude there when we were there but no idea who he was as I’ve no interest in tennis.

We once did a one week road trip around Jamaica with just a hire car, a plastic bag with a change of underpants and a road map that was A3 size. Great fun, was only supposed to be 2 nights away but we got carried away and visited lots of different places. Highly recommended way to spend a week - may write about it one day. That is why we ended up at Goldeneye.

But we’re not there so today Mrs Awkward cooked her take on Jamaican Oxtail Stew.

As any Jamaican granny (well any granny regardless of being Jamaican or not) will tell you thrift is good and this recipe can be thrifty or extravagant but today we had it bulked out and stodged up so we could freeze some for later, it freezes really well.

It can also be made a day or 2 in advance then just reheated when needed.

Today we used lamb leg steaks as we got them cheap from the local butcher even if oxtail is more usual but that is getting expensive round here now.

What happened to the days the butcher would almost give oxtail away as no-one wanted it?

We’ve also used lamb shanks when a bit flush with cash (or the butcher had them on special offer) and slow cooked them until the meat fell off the bones - yum yum.

Trick is to cook this low and slow, basically simmer it for 3+ hours until meat falls off the bones and come out clean.

It’s traditional to serve it with rice and peas but we like it with herby dumplings or a sweet potato/potato/carrot mash plus always with crusty bread for dunking and mopping up, can’t waste any as it’s too good. Filling a ready-made Yorkshire Pudding and topping with the mash is a good alternative as well.

• oxtail cut into lumps

• plain flour

• cayenne pepper

• sea salt

• ground black pepper

• oil for cooking

• chopped onions

• chopped garlic

• sliced leeks

• bay leaves

• carrots cut into pieces

• scotch bonnet chillies to taste/heat as required. For extra spice split down middle leaving intact at top.

  • use any chillies you have if you don’t have scotch bonnets

• dried thyme

• dried green herbs such as parsley, marjoram, coriander, rosemary etc - optional

• tomato puree

• red wine as per Keith Floyd’s rules

• chicken stock

• Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce

• tinned plum tomatoes

• tin butter beans

• butternut squash, cut into pieces - optional for the bulking out

• potatoes, cut into pieces - optional for the bulking out

• swede, cut into pieces - optional for the bulking out

• parsnips, cut into pieces - optional for the bulking out

• sweet potatoes, cut into pieces - optional for the bulking out

• pearl barley - optional for the bulking out

• frozen peas, broad beans etc - optional for the bulking out

1. mix the flour with the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper

2. add the oxtail pieces and cover well in the flour

3. heat the oil in a pan or whatever you are going to cook it in

4. add the meat and brown well - reserve any flour that falls off the meat

5. remove meat from the pan and put aside

6. add the onions, leeks, garlic and any reserved flour to the pan and cook until taking on colour

7. add the tomato puree and worcestershire sauce and mix well

8. add the bay leaves, vegetable pieces, the dried herbs and chillies and mix well

9. add the tomato puree and tinned tomatoes and mix well

10. add the red wine, chicken stock and mix well and bring to the boil

11. add the meat and simmer for 2 hours or so

12. add the butter beans

13. add the pearl barley if bulking up

14. cook for another hour

15. serve and enjoy