Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Caribbean Oxtails

photo courtesy of Black Girl Chef's Whites

What are oxtails? Where do you buy oxtails? How do you cook oxtails? If these questions have kept you from adding oxtails (which are meat from the tail of a male cow, by the way) to your recipe repertoire, today is the day to change all that. Oxtails can be found at your local butchershop or even Costco. Due to the amount of bone and gelatin present, they are perfect for making beef stock or for using in dishes that require a long cooking time with low heat. We love anything that can be cooked in a slow cooker!

Cheryl of Black Girl Chef's Whites wears many hats: she's not just a blogger, but a chef and caterer. We're thrilled that she shared this delicious recipe with us as well as her best tips for successful oxtail cooking!

Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed habanero pepper
4 pounds oxtails (look for a mix of large and small oxtails)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups chicken broth or water

How to Make It:

1. In a small bowl, mix the scallions, garlic, ginger, allspice, salt and habanero pepper together. Rub the spice mix all over the oxtails, marinate for at least one hour to overnight.
2. Place the sliced onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the thyme sprigs on top, then the oxtails. Pour the broth over the oxtails, cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
3. When the oxtails are cooked, remove them from the slow cooker. Remove the thyme stems from the liquid. With a blender or food processor, carefully puree the sauce, then return it to the slow cooker, or pour it into a serving dish. Return the oxtails to the sauce.

Serves 6.

Tips from Cheryl:

• In lieu of the habanero pepper, "you can use fresh scotch bonnet peppers, fresh habanero peppers, or a dried variation of either. You can also use crushed red pepper flakes, but you will need to add more than 1/4 teaspoon to get the same amount of fruity heat."
• If you're having trouble finding oxtails at your grocery store, check out an Asian or Hispanic market.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Let us know, and we may feature it as Recipe of the Week!