Braised Oxtail Ragu

PHOTOS + VIDEO BY MARIA MIGUEL + BIBIANA NUNES

This is one of my favorite dishes from my B&B in Jamaica. It’s a non-traditional recipe that incorporates some classic flavors plus some inspired by my Chinese Jamaican heritage.

In addition to the non-traditional flavors, I'd also serve this oxtail in a non-traditional way. I’d take the meat off the bone, reduce the cooking liquid to make a luscious sauce, and serve it over coconut mashed breadfruit. Since breadfruit is hard to come by in the States, I swap it for russet or golden potatoes here.

FYI in case you’ve never cooked with it: oxtail is the tail of the cow and it’s very boney but very flavorful. Because of all of that connective tissue, it usually takes about 4 hours to cook! By pressure cooking it, I cut that time down to less than an hour.

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ingredients

• 3 pounds oxtail, cut 2 inches thick 

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 rounded tablespoon flour (I’m using gluten free)

• 3 tablespoons canola oil

• 2 onions, sliced

• 8oz Dragon Stout (or Guiness or dark brewed coffee)

• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

• ¼ cup soy sauce (I’m using gluten free)

• 2 scallions, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ scotch bonnet pepper, left whole w/ seeds

• 6, ¼ inch slices peeled ginger

• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves

• 5 whole pieces of star anise

• 1 small cinnamon stick, ~3’’ long

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• 7 plum tomatoes, chopped

• 5 scallions, chopped - green and white separated

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

directions

1. Trim oxtail of excess fat, season with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and dust with flour.

2. Heat oil in a large fry pan on medium-high heat.

3. Brown oxtail on all sides and remove to pressure cooker.*

4. Reduce heat to medium and saute onions in the same pan until lightly browned--about 5 minutes.

5. Remove to the pressure cooker.

6. Add any remaining flour to the pan, then whisk in beer, stock and soy sauce.

7. Bring to a simmer and pour over the oxtail and onions.

8. Add scallions and the next 11 ingredients to the pressure cooker.

9. Use a spoon to nestle ingredients in the liquid as much as possible, adding additional stock to cover oxtail if necessary.

10. Secure the pressure cooker according to the manual and cook on high for 50 minutes. Quick release pressure and open cooker.

11. Remove oxtail to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

12. Using gloves, pick meat from bones, shredding it into smaller than bite-sized pieces, being sure to discard any small pieces of bone or gristle.

13. Pour the cooking liquid into a large saucepan and remove and discard ginger, star anise, cinnamon, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper.

14. Bring to a simmer on medium-high heat and reduce to a thick gravy--about 10 minutes.

15. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

16. Add tomatoes and scallion whites.

17. Simmer to soften--about 5 minutes.

18. Add sugar and vinegar and taste for seasoning.

19. Add cooked oxtail to the gravy and stir to combine. Best prepared 1 day in advance.

20. Add reserved scallion greens before serving.

*If you’re not using a pressure cooker: follow steps 1-3 but add those ingredients to a heavy oven safe pot with a secure lid, like a dutch oven, instead of to a bowl of a pressure cooker. Cook at 325 degrees F for 4 hours. Remove oxtail and shred, and proceed with the recipe from there.

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