Hope everyone’s year started off productive and promising. I am chipping away at work, and home and trying to stay on track with posting here on the blog and YouTube. All the organizing I failed to accomplish at year’s end is now being tackled.
Being organized helps reduce stress, increases productivity and simply motivates me to do more. Less time dealing with clutter, misplaced items and searching for ‘stuff’ means more time to focus on being creative–all in a relaxing environment. I urge you to think of some areas of your life or your home where you can benefit from being more organized! One area where I am always rearranging items is in my kitchen; the goal is to work smoothly and efficiently. If you don’t, you know what needs to be done!
Here are a few tips I have found most helpful to keep my kitchen organized:
- Place items that are frequently used within reach: measuring spoons and cups, mixing bowls, utensils, tools, and everyday pots
- Move items that are not used frequently to another storage area or on higher shelves
- Decluttering counters – allow you to have more workspace
- Place like items together; – e.g bowls and storage containers of like size can fit snugly together creating more space. Not everyone understands this! I have seen this rule violated with my own eyes!
- Labeling jars and containers with name and date reduces time spent searching for or figuring out what’s inside. Dates will help you determine freshness or expiration dates.
- Organize your spices: With tons of different spices, it can get pretty frustrating to find what you are looking for. Research clever and functional ways to store your spices. I place my spices by cuisine in small refrigerator trays–e.g. Indian, Italian, baking, etc. This way, I just pull a tray down from the cabinet depending on what I am cooking (or baking) on any given day.
Let me know in the comment section below what are your best tips for keeping YOUR kitchen organized!
Talking about the kitchen, here is a tantalizing recipe inspired by our Jamaican neighbors in the Caribbean—stewed oxtails!
Whereas many use bottled browning, I prefer to make it from scratch and use lots of simple, fresh ingredients.
What is the ‘burnt sugar’ method of stewing?
As I have mentioned before, ‘burning sugar’ is usually the starting point of our stews, our famous pelau, and some soup dishes. It’s not burnt like the color of charcoal but it is merely a method used to develop the sugar to the right color, to add color and a unique depth of flavor.
History of ‘burnt sugar’ or ‘browning sugar’ in the Caribbean
Stewing of meat using “burnt” sugar was believed to be a West African cooking style brought to the Caribbean by the African slaves who were forced to work in the sugar plantations. You can find this method used here (quick and simple chicken pelau) and here-stewed chicken or any of my stewed beans recipes.
Once you sink your teeth and wrap your lips around a soft, fall of the bone, juicy, succulent, flavorful piece of oxtail there is no going back. I don’t remember the first time I ate oxtail, but I surely remember the last time, today.
Back in the days when I lived in Brooklyn and rode the no. 5 train to Flatbush Ave., I’d occasionally treat myself and my family to a dinner of Oxtail stew with rice and beans, cabbage and fried plantains from the popular Jamaican restaurant in the area. Nowadays, they have expanded their operation and probably changed the chef and recipe because it’s not the same!
Developing a ‘clean recipe’ for stewed oxtail
I’ve been obsessed with developing a recipe that equals or exceeds the original stewed oxtail I ate in Brooklyn in taste and texture. So much so that whenever I encountered a Jamaican (mostly in the grocery) the first thing I inquired about was whether they could make oxtail stew and would be willing to share the recipe. Unfortunately, many swear by seasoning salts with MSG which will not work for me, so my goal has been to develop an exceptional all-natural, clean version, which I am happy to share with you today.
I am confident you would love my recipe, so please give it a try!
Tip: Oxtail can be seasoned in advance to save time and also to improve flavor.
PRESS PLAY TO VIEW VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS:
Succulent Stewed Oxtail Recipe
Succulent Stewed Oxtail Recipe
Serves 6-8
RECIPE CAN BE EASILY HALVED, but why would you do such a thing!!…
To season:
4 lbs oxtail
1/2 cup green seasoning (4 scallions, 4 leaves culantro, 8 cloves garlic)
1 large onion, chopped
2 pimento peppers (Caribbean seasoning pepper)
1 hot habanero or scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 ripe plum tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup green seasoning (4 scallions, 4 leaves culantro, 8 cloves garlic)
1 large onion, chopped
2 pimento peppers (Caribbean seasoning pepper)
1 hot habanero or scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 ripe plum tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
To Cook:
1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons brown sugar (if using potatoes and beans, used 5 tbs)
4 tablespoons organic ketchup
2 medium carrots
4 celery stalks
½ red bell pepper, chopped
10 pimento seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 medium potatoes, optional
1 can butter beans, optional (rinsed and drained)
1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons brown sugar (if using potatoes and beans, used 5 tbs)
4 tablespoons organic ketchup
2 medium carrots
4 celery stalks
½ red bell pepper, chopped
10 pimento seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 medium potatoes, optional
1 can butter beans, optional (rinsed and drained)
Trim excess fat from oxtail. Wash oxtail with the juice of a lime or lemon. Rinse several times and drain.
Caribbean Stewed Oxtail
Oxtail is one of those dishes that scream comfort food. Once you sink your teeth and wrap your lips around a soft, fall of the bone, juicy, succulent, flavorful piece of oxtail there is no going back.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 671kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lbs oxtail
- 1/2 cup green seasoning
- 6 sprigs thyme
- ½ large onion
- 1 plum tomato
- 2 pimento peppers
- Hot pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 carrots
- 4 celery stalks
- 1/2 red pepper
- 2 potatoes
- 1 teaspoon all spice berries
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Wash oxtail with several changes of water, rubbing between fingers to remove any slime. Drain.
- Season Oxtail with green seasoning, thyme, onion, tomato, pimento peppers, salt, hot and pimento peppers. Marinate up to 24 hours in refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and bring to room temp when ready to cook.
- Heat olive oil in a medium sized Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat.
- Add brown sugar and wait for it to bubble, froth, darken and expand, about 5-6 minutes.
- When the sugar is almost black and almost at the smoking point, add seasoned oxtail along with any liquid from the bowl. Raise heat to high and stir constantly to coat and sear meat, about 5 minutes.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until all the relinquished liquid evaporates, about one hour (stir and check every 15 minutes). Once liquid evaporates, continue to stir for 2 mins to develop flavor. Stir in bell peppers, carrots, celery, pimento seeds (if using), then add 2-4 cups water, or just enough to cover and cook for an additional 1-2 hours or until oxtail is tender .
- [If the liquid evaporates in less than one hour, you may need to add 4 cups of water, but if relinquishes a lot of water and takes a long time to evaporate you may only need 2 cups. The main point here is to keep adding water until the oxtail is cooked under falling apart tender. ]
- When oxtail is almost done, stir in butter beans(if using) and enough water to make additional sauce. Cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes. Test for salt and pepper and add more if required.
- Remove thyme sprigs and pimento seeds and serve with freshly steamed jasmine rice, rice and peas, boiled ground provisions or enjoy with mashed potatoes.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 671kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 1120mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3014IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 11mg
Season with green seasoning, chopped onion, pimento and hot peppers, tomato, salt and black pepper.
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Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
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Add brown sugar and allow to it froth, bubble, expand and darken–like the color of browning. Add ketchup and cook for a few seconds.
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Add seasoned oxtail and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to coat evenly with the browning. Cover, reduce heat to low and allow the oxtail to cook and release its juices.
- Once the natural juices have evaporated, add carrots, celery, bell pepper, pimento, tomato and thyme sprigs. Stir 1 minute.
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Add 6 cups of water or enough to cover and raise heat to high to bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cover, lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 2-3 hours or until tender and the sauce has thickened. Potato and beans can be added during the last hour of cooking. Taste and add more salt if required.
Remove thyme sprigs and serve hot over freshly steamed jasmine rice or rice and beans with a side of fried plantains!
**See Pressure Cooker options on the Video. ONLY takes 35 minutes!!!**
Cooking with Love and Best Dishes,
Ria
SERVE WITH:
FRESHLY STEAMED JASMINE RICE AND STEWED RED BEANS (CLICK FOR RECIPE)
Made oxtail a few weeks ago and added Cassareap – the Guyanese Pepperpot cassava syrup – it was amazing!!!! Added a whole depth of flavor and whole other dimension.