Jamaican Ox-tail Stew

On a mission trip to Jamaica, I learned this recipe from sticking my head in and asking the cook questions about what she was cooking. I was graciously welcomed into her kitchen and given a seat to listen and watch.


Note- this is an all day stew to make the house smell wonderful.

Ingredients:

Ox-tails, raw about 2lbs.
2 cans Diced tomatoes and green chilies (drained)
Tomato Paste 1 small can
2 cans large Lima Beans (drained)
2 medium Onions
Baby Carrots, raw, 20 medium cut into chunks
Garlic, 1 clove sliced thin
Mushrooms, fresh, 1.5 cup slices
Olive Oil, 2.5 Tbsp (divided)
Beef broth, fat free 1 qt.
All Purpose Flour 0.25 cup
Jalapeno Peppers, 1 pepper (seeded and chopped)

Directions:

Lightly flour the ox-tails.
Heat 1.5 Tbsps. oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat.
When oil is hot, add oxtails - brown all sides, then add beef broth. (A little water may be added to cover the tails)
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 4-5 hours.
Check occasionally stirring the mixture.
After simmering, take a pair of forks and remove the remaining meat from the bones. Discard the bones.
 

Rich Broth!

Chop veggies, seed pepper, slice garlic.
In a seperate skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. oil.   When hot add garlic and jalapeno first for one minute stirring, and then add onions, carrots and mushrooms.
Stir frequently to crisp tender (five minutes or so).

Add this to the Ox-Tail mixture and stir.

Drain tomatoes and beans. Add to the Dutch oven and stir.

Allow stew to simmer another 45 minutes to an hour.
Cook rice according to package directions in a separate pot or rice cooker.

Serve stew over 1 cup of cooked rice.

Enjoy!