Oxtail Stew

Oxtail Stew with Rice

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. oxtail

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/8 tsp cayenne

• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 ribs celery, chopped

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp grated or minced ginger

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomato (or 1 can diced tomato)

• 4 scallions, chopped, separated into white and green parts

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 4 cups beef stock or water

• 2 tsp ground all spice

• 4 sprigs thyme

• 2 wiri wiri peppers (or hot pepper of your choice), optional

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp flour or cornstarch

• salt to taste

• Cooked rice, for serving

1. Wash the oxtail; trim fat off. Place oxtail in a large bowl and season with onion powder, paprika, cayenne, crushed dried thyme, crushed dried oregano, half of the minced ginger, half of the minced garlic cloves, half of the ground all spice, half of the Worcestershire sauce, half of the soy sauce and salt. Cover and place in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

2. In a large Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil. Brown oxtail on all sides. You may need to do this in 2 batches. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Cook onion and celery for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ginger, garlic, white parts of scallion, and chopped tomato, cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until tomatoes have broken down. Add tomato paste and cook until incorporated.

3. Pour stock into pot, add oxtails, ground all spice, thyme, wiri wiri pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very tender.

4. To thicken the gravy, place cornstarch or flour in a 2-cup measuring cup. Fifteen minutes before stew is done, remove 1 cup of liquid from the pot and add to cornstarch. Whisk, carefully, until there are no lumps remaining. Pour this slurry back into the pot, stir, cover and continuing cooking until meat is tender.

5. Serve oxtail over hot rice.

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Notes&Tips:

• Cooking a dish like Oxtail Stew requires some investment in time. You can make it quicker by pressuring the meat in a pressure cooker. However, I find that cooking it long and slow really give the dish a more intensified flavor. This is a dish to make on a Sunday or whatever day you are home. It is also a very satisfying cold weather dish that warms you up inside and out.

• For my Oxtail Stew, I have added potatoes as I always like some sort of vegetable to go with my meat. However, in giving you the recipe, I did not include the potatoes. If you would like to add potatoes and or carrots, peel and chop them into large chunks. Add them to the pot 45 minutes to 1 hour before the end cooking time.

• This Oxtail Stew was very robust in flavor and taste and also very filling served alongside rice.

• I left the wiri wiri peppers whole and because the dish was cooked on slow heat, they did not break up. If you are afraid they will break down and be too hot, remove the seeds before adding to the pot. On the other hand, if you'd like your Oxtail Stew hot and spicy this will not be an issue.