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.
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.