Mexi-Jamaican Oxtail Bean Stew

Oxtail Bean Stew

There is only one person in our house who would be a pro at making Mexi-Jamaican Oxtail Bean Stew: Patrick! When I told him about working with Rumba Meats he practically leaped out of his chair.

“Ask for oxtail!” he cheered. He then whipped around and pulled up a Jamaican oxtail stew recipe he had saved on his iPad and told me how he had this idea to give it a Latin makeover using beans, nopales, and a serrano chile.

Isn’t it weird how you can know someone all your life and still learn new things? I had no idea he had this secret oxtail dream happening. But it sure came in handy because he took the lead on this project and made a delicious stew.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my clips showing him hard at work. Just in case, I have pictures!

Before we get started on the recipe, check out Rumba Meats! The brand is all about celebrating cultural diversity and traditions. Visit their site, as well as on their Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages, to see an array of recipes. They call their products food for the soul! Here’s where you can find their products in your area, I bought mine at my local Fry’s Stores location.

Have you ever tried oxtail? This was a first for me. It comes from the tail of the cattle and it’s a very popular cut in  West Africa, China, South America, Spain, and Indonesia. It’s very fatty and rich, it reminded me of juicy rib meat.

I loved the savory seasoning in this recipe – the allspice, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup give it a burst of robust flavor! We have always loved Jamaican food and Patrick has eaten oxtail stew at a local Caribbean eatery by our house. That’s where his inspiration came from! To give the recipe a Mexican spin, Patrick added a serrano chile.

He said he plans to make this again, but instead of the bell peppers, he is going to used nopales.

As far as the beans, you can use canned beans of your choice, or washed, raw pinto beans. This stew simmers for so long, they will cook by the time it is ready to be served.

Directions

Chop oxtail into small chunks and soak in salted water for 30 minutes to remove residue.

Rinse oxtail, place in a bowl. Add sauces and spices. Mix and rub into the meat. Add half of the chopped veggies to the mixture. Make sure everything is completely covered. Marinate in fridge for at least two hours.

Heat up the olive oil in a pot, remove the oxtails from the marinade and brown in hot oil for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the marinade to the pot. Add beef broth. Add 2 cups water, cover and simmer on medium for four hours. Add the second half of the veggies, cover and simmer on medium for one and a half hours.

In the last twenty minutes, add cooked beans of your choice and ½  of a tomato, chopped. Remove serrano chile (so no one accidentally eats it!)  and serve with a warm tortilla or bolillo.

And there you have it! Mexi-Jamaican Oxtail Bean Stew! Have you ever cooked with oxtail before? If not, now is as good of a time as any to give it a try!