Cooking Instructions
1.
Wash and season the
Oxtails (2 lb)
with the
Onion (1)
,
Grape Tomatoes (6)
,
Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1/3)
,
Green Caribbean Seasoning (1 Tbsp)
,
Ketchup (1 tsp)
,
Worcestershire Sauce (1 tsp)
,
Salt (1 tsp)
,
Freshly Ground Black Pepper (as needed)
, and
Angostura Bitters (2 splashes)
. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least a couple hours in the fridge but overnight is best.
2.
In a heavy, oven-safe pot, one that can go in the oven, go in with the
Vegetable Oil (1 Tbsp)
on high heat. Then add the
Brown Sugar (1 Tbsp)
and with a dry spoon stir. It will melt, go frothy and then amber in color. Act fast and start adding the seasoned oxtail pieces, it’s ok if the marinade goes in too, and stir well. If the sugar becomes black, stop and start over or it will be bitter in taste.
3.
Cover the pot and cook on medium for about 7 minutes. It will sprout it’s own liquid, so we need to remove the lid, crank up the heat to high and burn off that liquid. That will infuse the oxtail dish with flavor and give it that rich color. It may take a few minutes. You can add a cup of water to the bowl you marinated the oxtails in to pick up any renaming marinade that's left and pour it back in.
4.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
5.
As all the liquid burns off and the pieces of oxtails are evenly browned, add the
Water (1 1/2 cups)
,
Dry Navy Beans (1 cup)
,
Scallions (1 bunch)
,
Garlic (2 cloves)
, and
Fresh Thyme (4 sprigs)
. Follow with the
Coconut Milk (1 cup)
and
Whole Allspice (6)
, for that rich island flavor. Bring to a boil and stir well.
6.
Now it’s time to place it covered, in the oven on the middle rack. After about 2 hours you may want to check it to make sure you still have liquid, if not you can add about 1/2 cup water or coconut milk.
7.
Back into the oven for another hour and a half. In total, you’ll need it in there for about 3 1/2 hours, after which the beans will be tender, the meat will be falling off the bones, you’ll have a lovely rich and thick gravy, and your kitchen should be blessed with an amazing scent. Taste for salt and adjust.
8.
Remove the allspice berries and the stalks of thyme and discard, then top with the
Fresh Parsley (2 Tbsp)
and get ready to serve. If you find that it’s a bit oily at the top, you can skim that off and discard. Enjoy!
