Jamaican-Style Oxtail Stew with Butter Beans

Trim the thick layer of fat from the edges of the oxtail pieces; leaving it on will make the sauce greasy. Rinse the pieces in cold water and pat dry. Rub with the chopped scallions, grated garlic, thyme, crushed allspice berries, minced Scotch bonnet pepper, salt, and black pepper.

Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and let it foam and turn dark brown. Scrape the marinade from the oxtail pieces and sear them in two batches, 4 minutes per side, until a dark crust forms. Remove the pieces from the pot.

In the same oil, cook the coarsely chopped onion and carrot for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. The browned bits on the bottom of the pot should start to loosen as the vegetables release their juices.

Add the meat, all the marinade from the bowl, the bay leaves, and hot water to the pot. Once it boils, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover, and cook for 150 minutes; the liquid should release only an occasional bubble, not boil vigorously. It is ready when the meat separates from the bone with a touch of a fork and the sauce leaves a trail on the back of a spoon.

Add the cooked butter beans and simmer uncovered for 12 more minutes. The beans will heat through and absorb the flavor of the sauce, while their starch thickens it a little more. Longer cooking will break them apart and cloud the sauce.

Remove the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and whole Scotch bonnet, if used. Taste and adjust the salt, then serve hot with rice and peas.