Entree: Antigua and Barbuda – Central Culinary Region – Stewed Oxtail

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 2 hrs 40 min

Total 3 hrs

Ingredients

8 trimmed oxtail pieces, 1,360 g gross; estimated cooked edible meat: 600 g (bone-in pieces; edible yield estimate after braising)
Vegetable oil, 30 ml (about 28 g)
Caribbean browning sauce or dark soy sauce, 30 ml (about 30 g); use one, not both
Onion, chopped, 225 g
Scallions, chopped, 115 g
Garlic, minced, 9 g
Scotch bonnet pepper, whole or split, 15 g
Fresh thyme sprigs, 3 g
Tomato paste, 30 g
Beef broth, 240 ml (about 240 g)
Canned crushed tomatoes, 240 g
Carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces, 225 g
Canned butter beans (lima beans), drained, 200 g; estimate mapped to canned mature lima beans, drained solids
Bay leaves, 2 leaves (about 0.4 g)
Ground allspice, 5 g
Kosher salt, 5 g
Ground black pepper, 2 g
Dark rum, 15 ml (about 15 g), optional
Lime juice, 15 ml (about 15 g), or to taste
Brown sugar, 12 g, optional
Fresh parsley, chopped, 8 g

Instructions

1. Pat the oxtail dry and season with the salt and black pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the oxtail on all sides, working in batches if needed, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Set aside. Add the browning sauce to the pot and scrape up the browned bits.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, scallions, and garlic; cook until softened and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, and allspice. Return the oxtail and any accumulated juices to the pot.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 2–2½ hours, turning the pieces once, until tender and the meat pulls from the bone.
6. Add the carrots and drained butter beans during the final 25–30 minutes of cooking, until the carrots are tender.
7. If using, stir in the rum and brown sugar. Add the lime juice and adjust seasoning to taste. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes to thicken slightly.
8. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.