caribbean-style oxtails

Most of the time I would use oxtails in kare-kare, but I wanted to try something new.  A friend, Mike Deguzman, posted a picture of oxtails he ate for lunch at a local Caribbean restaurant, so I wanted to try it out.

This recipe is inspired by Emeril Lagasse’s recipe, but I made a quite a few modifications.  It was sticky, fatty, and had very bold flavors — all things I love!  Try it out if you’re feeling adventurous.

The Basics

• Olive oil – 2 tbsp.
• Oxtails – Defrosted (Don’t know where to find this?)
• Small onion-diced
• 1 carrot – peeled and diced
• 2 green onions – chopped
• Garlic – 2 cloves, peeled and minced
• Ginger – about 1 inch.  You can mince it, but I prefer to grate it because I don’t like biting into chunks of garlic.
• Beer – use a dark beer like Guinness or a beer you would drink.
• 1 can of beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp allspice. – I used Essence of Emeril and thyme as a substitute.

The Rundown

1. Put about 2 tbsp of oil on medium heat in your pressure cooker.  Carefully add oxtails so you don’t get splashed.  Brown oxtails, which should be able 3 or 4 minutes on each side.   If you can’t fit all the oxtails, brown half at a time. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. Add onions and cook to pot, and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent.
3. Add green onions, garlic and ginger.  Mix and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Add tomato paste and mix well with vegetables.  Sprinkle flour.  Mix well and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add beer.  Add slowly as this will deglaze the pan.  A small amount of liquid will allow you to scrape the brown off the bottom of the pot.  Let boil for about 5 minutes.
6. Add beef broth.
7. Add allspice and oxtails.  Pressure cook for about 40-45 minutes.
8. Safely depressurize and add parsley.
9. Serve immediately!

Tags: beef recipe, international, medium difficulty, pressure cooker