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Oxtail Stew

Name: Oxtail Stew
Prep time: 29 min
Total time: 1 h 14 min
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 3 lbs oxtail pieces; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1-inch piece ginger, grated; 1 tsp allspice; 3 sprigs thyme; 1 Scotch bonnet pepper; 1 onion, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 can (15 oz) butter beans, drained; 1 tbsp brown sugar; salt to taste; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 4 cups water

Oxtail Stew reads umami 8.8, richness 8.0 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Jamaican main, about 1 hr 14 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 9.6 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 8.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.8 · Richness 8.0 · Salinity 5.2 · Heat 4.3 · Allium 3.8 · Sweetness 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 3.2 · Sourness 3.0 · Warm Spice 2.7 · Earthy 2.0 · Fruity 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.7 · Nutty 0.7

What's in it (15)

3 lbs oxtail pieces
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, grated
1 tsp allspice
3 sprigs thyme
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 can (15 oz) butter beans, drained
1 tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups water

Time & effort: about 1 hr 14 min (29 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 167.9 kcal, 14.1 g protein, 7.7 g fat, 11.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Season oxtail with soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, ginger, allspice, thyme, salt, and pepper and marinate overnight.
Brown in batches in a heavy pot, then add onion, tomatoes, Scotch bonnet, and enough stock to cover; pressure-cook 45 minutes or braise 3 hours until very tender.
Stir in butter beans in the last 20 minutes, adjust seasoning, and serve with rice and peas.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Cajun Meatloaf with Tomato Gravy — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
Lamb Vindaloo — Indian
Lamb and Potato Curry — Indian
Hoppin' John Soup — Southern
Crispy Chili Garlic Chicken — Indian · Indo-Chinese

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.