Jamaican oxtail is very special due to the infusion of flavors that make this dish come alive. Braised in fresh herbs & spices such as thyme, scallion, scotch bonnet, allspice, and sometimes ginger, this dish is a labor of love that is totally worth it in the end. These tail portions of beef can easily be sourced at your local market.
How do you tenderize oxtail before cooking?
There are many ways to tenderize oxtail before you actually start the cooking process. Low sodium soy sauce is my secret! Soy sauce helps the meat retain its moisture, tenderizes the meat, and enhances the savory flavor we all love. My mother taught me this trick while I was learning how to stew oxtail and I haven’t looked back since!
How long does it take for oxtails to get tender?
Depending on the method of cooking you choose, whether it be via pressure cooker or stove top, the timing will vary between 1 and 2 hours. Luckily I recently discovered a trick from one of my fellow foodies who taught me that when using the stovetop method of cooking, ice is an excellent way to speed up the cooking process! Yes, ice!
How does ice tenderize meat?
Cold ice assists in breaking down the connective tissue in meat and renders the meat incredibly juicy with a succulent flavor. It’s not a deal breaker; just a kitchen hack to help you achieve the best oxtail!
Start by rinsing your oxtail with water & vinegar. Pat dry. Next, add your soy sauce, pickapeppa sauce, all purpose, oxtail seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, Gravy Master, and minced garlic. Fresh herbs & spices should be prepped and left to the side. Massage seasonings into oxtail. Optional: marinate for 2 hours. In a large dutch oven, place fire on low/medium. Heat the dutch oven for 3 minutes and then add oil. Heat oil for another 3 minutes and begin adding the oxtail. Once you’ve added the oxtail, cover. You will brown the meat for 30-40 minutes, occasionally flipping the pieces of oxtail until they are brown on all sides. Careful not to let it burn! Once the meat has browned on all sides, add 5 cups of water and 1 more tablespoon of Gravy Master. Cover and place your fire on medium.
1 hr after you’ve added the water, add 2 cups of ice and maintain your fire on medium. Once ice has melted, add your butter beans (strain and rinse first), fresh onion, garlic, thyme, scallion, scotch bonnet, and red/green pepper. At this point after adding the water and ice and you’ll need to season your gravy. Add a tsp of all purpose seasoning, a tsp each of onion & garlic powder, and a tsp of oxtail seasoning. Stir and cover. Cook on medium for another 45 minutes and oxtail will be tender and ready to eat! Tip! You may end up with a layer of fat that has risen to the top of the gravy. I’d suggest skimming the fat with a cold spoon or you could trim some fat off of the oxtail before you start the cooking process! Let me know how it comes out!
By soaking and blanching the oxtail before cooking any impurities are removed. To cook: Oxtail requires long, slow cooking to produce tender, succulent meat. It should be cooked for a minimum of 3 hours for the best results.
Fill with enough water to cover oxtails and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook oxtails until tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
There is a good amount of fat and collagen that melt into your dishes as oxtail cooks, which will give a wonderful round texture to sauces and that slightly sticky feel to the meat. And the bonus flavor from the bone marrow that will cook into your dishes make this cut one to really get to know and not be afraid of!
How—and Why—to Brown Oxtail Before Braising. This recipe starts with browning the meat before braising it, which improves its flavor and appearance. To achieve perfect browning, simply: Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
As the meat braises, the collagen inside the cut cooks down and becomes gelatin; as it dissolves, the meat's fibers relax and tenderize. However, if the cooking temperature is too high, these muscle fibers will shrink and seize up, toughening.
In a large bowl, combine the paprika, black pepper, salt, oxtail seasoning, onion, garlic, scallions, 4 of the thyme sprigs, and the hot sauce. Add the oxtails and toss them with the spices until evenly coated. Cover the bowl and allow the oxtails to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
No matter how you cook oxtail, you'll first want to cut off the excess fat to prevent the dish from becoming too greasy. Then, brown the surface of the meat, and add onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and any other aromatics you like, with enough beef broth to cover the meat.
Oxtail needs low heat and lots of time to get tender. Cook them on a llloooww simmer, and if they still seem a little tough after three hours, just give them more time. The meat should be practically falling off the bone.
So, demand is up. But there's also a matter of supply. There aren't many small companies left that do their own slaughtering, Wetterauer says. Major packing houses don't take time to deal with less popular and what used to be less expensive parts, such as shanks, marrow, neckbones or oxtails.
In the Caribbean, it's customary to clean most meats before cooking. To clean your oxtails, simply add 1-2 capfuls of vinegar to a bowl of water, and then add your oxtails. With the oxtails added, swish them around in the mixture and then rinse. When you're done, dry the meat with some paper towels.
The origin of stews like oxtail can be traced back to our colonial heritage. Enslaved Africans on plantations were given very meager amounts of protein and often had to make do with cheaper cuts of meat or ends of slaughtered animals to add protein to their diets.
The pressure will in fact make your meat super tender, almost as if you slow cooked it for the better part of a day. You still have to figure out how long to cook it though so for that I invite you to read a little further.
Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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