Oxtail stew | Beef recipes | Jamie magazine (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to brown oxtails before cooking? ›

Browning your oxtails will not cook the meat. Instead, it will enhance its color and aroma by caramelizing its exterior. Browning beef oxtails in a hot skillet before braising will also add rich depth and flavor to the meat.

Washington says that historical subsistence foods like oxtail, saltfish and callaloo were once considered poor man's food, and over time gained prestige and financial value. “They held a certain social richness in that it was a path forward, a map towards what our ancestors ate,” she explains.

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.

By soaking and blanching the oxtail before cooking any impurities are removed. To cook: Oxtail requires long, slow cooking to produce tender, succulent meat.

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!

If you've never tried Oxtails, give them a go, they're cheap and very tasty. Braised meat tastes even better eaten the next day once the flavours have steeped overnight - especially with the Rioja! Deliciously rich Oxtail Stew recipe, with Oxtails braised in Red Wine and stock, with Onions, Parsnips, and Carrots.

That's because oxtail is packed with amazing connective tissues, cartilage, fat and bone and while its cooking these are broken down to the most amazing tender meat and nourishing collagen rich broth packed with nutrients that are great for healing your gut lining.

Versions of oxtail soup are popular traditional dishes in South America, West Africa, China, Spain, Korea and Indonesia.

Is oxtail really ox or cow? ›

Oxtail is the tail of a cow. A long time ago, it came from the tail of an ox, but now it comes from the tail of a cow of either sex. The tail is skinned and cut into sections.

The History and Tradition of Jamaican Oxtail

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.

Yes, it definitely does. Similar to a Neapolitan Ragù, the longer you cook the oxtail, the better the sauce or stew becomes. The flavors are released in the collagen and the connective tissue also dissolves. This results in meat that is falling off the bone and tender.

The best side dishes to serve with oxtails are: roasted root vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed greens, creamy coleslaw, potato rosti, jasmine rice, mashed sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, creamed spinach, roasted carrots, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, plantains, cornbread, garlic roasted potatoes, fried ...

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.

If you don't brown your meat, you'll end up with a rich, silky, tender texture. On the other hand, your flavor won't be as deep.

"Creating that Maillard reaction, where you are caramelizing the proteins and natural sugars in your meat, is building flavor. That flavor will then slowly make its way into the braising liquid and create a depth of flavor you just can't achieve otherwise."

"The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish." If you are making a slow-cooked recipe that calls for ground beef, like chili, beef stew, or meat sauce, browning the meat beforehand makes a huge difference.

Browning sauce combines brown sugar and hot boiling water to form a syrup-like sauce commonly used to enhance the flavor of stews, barbecues, gravies, and cakes. This sauce is a versatile condiment found in almost all Caribbean homes and used in food like Jamaican oxtails and Jamaican brown stew chicken.