Jamaican Classics
Jamaican Oxtail
A large-batch Jamaican oxtail with butter beans, seasoned with onion, garlic, scallion, thyme, powdered jerk seasoning and browning — made ahead so it is ready to reheat on party day.
Watch the video
From the video How I Host A Summer Garden Party Without Feeling Rushed. Watch on YouTube for the full walkthrough.
- Prep
- 25 minutes
- Cook
- 3 hours
- Total
- 3 hours 25 minutes
- Serves
- 16–18 servings
Ingredients
- About 6 kg oxtail
- 8 medium onions
- 8 garlic cloves
- 6 sprigs scallion
- About 3 tablespoons powdered jerk seasoning
- Dried and fresh thyme
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Browning sauce
- 4 tins butter beans
- Vinegar, for rinsing
- Lemon, for rinsing
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the oxtail with vinegar and lemon, then pat dry.
- 2
Slice the onions, crush or mince the garlic, and chop the scallion.
- 3
Place the oxtail in a large bowl. Add the onions, garlic, scallion, powdered jerk seasoning, dried and fresh thyme, black pepper, salt and enough browning to give a rich colour.
- 4
Mix thoroughly so every piece is coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or freeze the seasoned oxtail well ahead of a party.
- 5
When you are ready to cook, bring the oxtail to the fridge temperature, then brown it in a large pot in batches.
- 6
Return all of the oxtail and seasonings to the pot. Add a little water, cover, and simmer gently for about 2½–3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the gravy is rich.
- 7
Add the butter beans 5–10 minutes before turning off the heat.
- 8
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve hot, or cool and reheat on the day you are hosting.
Notes & serving ideas
- This batch used 5.97 kg of oxtail — a large party quantity. Scale the seasonings down for a smaller pot.
- Browning can be stirred in later if you run out while seasoning — the colour can be adjusted as it cooks.
