A Brief History of and Recipe for Jamaican Oxtail
While oxtail has gained popularity the world over, the origin of this Jamaican staple dates back to their colonial roots. Back in times of slavery, the slaves were given meager rations. Given that the cattle farms on jamaica were sparse, beef was a 'rare occasion' food. Scraps of the animals were given to the slaves, that's why traditional Jamaican food may have more unsavory parts of animal, like tongue, liver, chicken feet, pigs feet, and of course, our topic, oxtail. Over the centuries since then, the dish has taken on a more traditional, homey feel. It's because of that, that what used to be a throw away cut of meat, now goes for anywhere from $4 to $10 dollars per pound. Steep, especially because half of that weight is bone.
To make your own oxtail, you should:
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Into a blender add onion, scallion, garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper and 1/2 cup of water
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Blend until pureed
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Rub oxtail with soy saucs, thyme, salt and pepper
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Transfer oxtail and aromatics to a bowl
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Let rest for 24 hours
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Remove oxtail from marinade and scrape of excess marinade
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save for later use
For the cooking of the oxtail:
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In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering
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Add oxtail to the put until browned on all over, 5 minutes per side (work in batches to avoid overcroding pot)
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Transfer oxtail to platter
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Pour 1 cup of water into pot and bring to a simmer (scrape bottom of pot to remove any browned bits
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Re-add the oxtail as well as onions, scallion, garlic, thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, and browning or soy sauce to the pot
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Add enough water to cover meat, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 40 minutes
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Add in some of the stored marinade, stir until combined
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Let simmer, uncovered, until oxtail is tender, about 2 hours (add water from time to time to ensure oxtail remains just barely covered)
Serve with rice if you want
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