Oxtail stew, another favourite

Oxtail stew, another Jamaican favourite

Oxtail stew is among Jamaicans’ favourite cuisines.  A thick spicy stew with butter beans, potatoes and other vegetables.

In the past oxtail was considered in many parts of the world a meat not fit for better tables. That has changed today as oxtail is mainstreamed in an increasingly varied culinary environment. For instance, at finer restaurants here in Switzerland you can order braised oxtail and Gruyere sandwich, or Terre Retica oxtail consommé.

 In Geneva you may not find oxtail in the meat section of large supermarket chains, but certainly in speciality food stores.  Just across the border in France at major supermarkets, oxtail has pride of place among the choice beef cuts.

The traditional way of preparing oxtail stew in Jamaica involves adding a whole range of ingredients to oxtail cut in medium pieces. They include salt, paper, onions, garlic, thyme, ketchup, smoked paprika, Scotch bonnet paper, Worchester sauce, browning sauce, canned bake beans, whole pimento seeds and green onions. It takes a few hours for oxtail to be properly cooked because of its thick cartilage.

 
Here are a couple links on how to prepare oxtail stew Jamaican style.

African Bites Jamaican Oxtail Stew 

 Love Meat Jamaican Oxtail Stew 

Recipes :

My Forking Life - Jamaican oxtail

NY Times Cooking - Jamaican oxtail stew

Delish - Jamaican oxtail stew

Also visit our art gallery for contemporary Caribbean fine art: EJ Gallery 

Updated January 2021

January 2020