Oxtail is a delicacy eaten in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean usually made into a delicious stew. It is not typical to curry oxtail, common curries are, goat, chicken, beef etc are curried. Curry oxtail should be a treat for the family.
Jamaican Oxtail Curry is often served with rice and peas, a staple in Jamaican cuisine. The pairing of the aromatic, curry-infused oxtail with the coconut-infused rice creates a balance of flavours that are both comforting and exotic.
The dish is a common feature in family gatherings, celebrations, and Sunday dinners—a symbol of togetherness and shared joy.
The hallmark of Jamaican Curry Oxtail is the slow cooking process. Traditionally prepared over low heat, the oxtail simmers, allowing the flavours to meld and the meat to become fork-tender.
Cooking oxtail is a labour of love because it requires work and it is time-consuming although the time can be cut down to a fraction of the time with the use of a pressure pot. It is totally worth the effort. Oxtail is usually sold with or without the skin in different parts of the world, in North America, the skin is trimmed off. I prefer my oxtail with the skin on. Oxtail skin has a peculiar flavour that I like a lot.
HOW TO CLEAN OXTAIL
If your oxtail is not skin-off, trim off excess fat. Place oxtail in a bowl of water, and add about 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Wash well and drain. Rinse two more times with water only, and drain.
HOW TO MAKE OXTAIL TENDER
Oxtail is a very tough cut of meat and usually takes several hours to cook. It benefits from long slow cooking over low/medium flame. This can take up to 2-3 hours to get the oxtail tender depending on the age of the cow.
I usually use a pressure pot to cut down on the cooking time. A pressure pot will make your oxtail fork tender in 20-30 minutes.
Other additives will soften your oxtail quickly, but they might impact the taste of your gravy.
HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN CURRY OXTAIL
1kg Oxtail, cut into pieces
2 tablespoon Curry Powder (shared)
3 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 sprigs fresh thyme (2 teaspoons dry)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Oxtail Seasoning (optional)
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, crushed
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups beef broth or water
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
8 Pimento seeds
1 cup Butter beans (canned)
Place oxtail in a bowl of water, and add about 1/4 cup of white vinegar (optional). Wash well and drain.
Rinse two more times with water and drain properly.
In a bowl, combine oxtail pieces with 1 tablespoon of curry powder, all-purpose seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh or dry thyme, salt, black pepper, oxtail seasoning, garlic, ginger, green bell pepper, scallions and onions.
Rub into oxtail thoroughly.
Cover and set aside. Leave to marinade for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
In a medium size pot, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon curry powder, stir and toast until fragrant about 30 seconds. (Do not let it burn)
Scrape off the seasonings from the oxtail.
Add marinated oxtail to the pot of curry, browning on all sides for 2-3 minutes.
Scrape in the seasonings and stir well.
Pour in beef broth, and add whole scotch bonnet and pimento seeds. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let the oxtail simmer for 2-3 hours or until tender. Keep adding water a little at a time if needed.
You can also transfer it into a pressure pot, deglaze the pot with water add to the pressure pot and cook for 30 minutes.
Add butter beans to the pot and stir gently. Bring to a boil, and cook for another 30 minutes.
Your gravy should be thickened. Check and correct seasoning, and take off the heat.
Remove the Scotch bonnet pepper and thyme sprigs before serving.
Serve Jamaican Oxtail Stew with traditional rice and peas or rice.
Notes
- How long you cook your oxtail in the pot or pressure pot depends on different factors, e.g. age of the cow, gender of the cow (females take way longer to cook) etc.
- You can reserve half of your bell pepper, onions, and scallion, and add at the end for a fresh-tasting gravy.
- If your curry powder burns while toasting, toss it out. Burnt curry powder is bitter and will ruin the dish.
- If using a pressure pot, add just enough water to cover the oxtail because there won’t be much evaporation.
Jamaican Curry Oxtail
Ingredients
- 1 kg Oxtail cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons Curry Powder shared
- 3 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (2 teaspoons dry)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Oxtail Seasoning optional
- 4 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger crushed
- ½ Green Bell Pepper sliced
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups beef broth or water
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- 8 Pimento seeds
- 1 cup Butter beans canned
Instructions
- Place oxtail in a bowl of water, and add about 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Wash well and drain. Rinse two more times with water and drain properly.
- In a bowl, combine oxtail pieces with 1 tablespoon of curry powder, all-purpose seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh or dry thyme, salt, black pepper, oxtail seasoning, garlic, ginger, green bell pepper, scallions and onions. Rub into oxtail thoroughly.
- Cover and set aside. Leave to marinade for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- In a medium size pot, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon curry powder, stir and toast until fragrant about 30 seconds. (Do not let it burn)
- Scrape off the seasonings from the oxtail. Add marinated oxtail to the pot of curry, browning on all sides for 2-3 minutes.
- Scrape seasonings into pot and stir well.
- Pour in beef broth, and add whole scotch bonnet and pimento seeds. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let the oxtail simmer for 2-3 hours until tender. Keep adding water a little at a time if needed.
- You can also transfer it into a pressure pot, deglaze the pot with water add to the pressure pot and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add butter beans to the pot and stir gently. Bring to a boil, and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Your gravy should be thickened. Check and correct seasoning, and take off the heat.
- Remove the Scotch bonnet pepper and thyme sprigs before serving.
- Serve Jamaican Oxtail Stew with traditional rice and peas or rice.
Notes
Notes
- How long you cook your oxtail in the pot or pressure pot depends on different factors, e.g. age of the cow, gender of the cow (females take way longer to cook) etc.
- You can reserve half of your bell pepper, onions, and scallion, and add at the end for a fresh-tasting gravy.
- If your curry powder burns while toasting, toss it out. Burnt curry powder is bitter and will ruin the dish.
- If using a pressure pot, add just enough water to cover the oxtail because there won't be much evaporation.
I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food... 