Instant Pot Jamaican Oxtail Stew Recipes

INSTANT POT® JAMAICAN OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and liquid smoke in a bowl. Toss oxtails in the mixture until well coated.
• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Allow to heat up. Add vegetable oil to the hot pot and lay oxtail pieces inside, flat side down. Brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of beef broth into the pot to deglaze, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add carrots, onion, green onions, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. Stir and saute until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add oxtails, remaining beef broth, ketchup, and thyme. Cancel Saute function.
• Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 45 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, 20 to 40 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
• Remove oxtails and vegetables from the pot, leaving liquid behind. Select Saute function and bring liquid to a simmer. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir into the simmering liquid. Add pinto beans and simmer until liquid is slightly thickened and beans are warmed, about 5 minutes. Add oxtails and vegetables back to the pot, and mix to combine.

INSTANT POT JAMAICAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in the pressure cooker pot over medium heat (sauté mode in my Instant Pot) until the oil shimmers and just starts to smoke. While the pot heats, sprinkle the beef cubes with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Sear the beef in three batches; sear each batch until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes, and then transfer the seared beef to a bowl. (I sear in batches so we don't crowd the pot - crowded beef doesn't brown, it steams. And, I sear on one side to get the complex browning flavors, without spending all day searing the beef.)
• After all the beef is seared, add the onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, and tomato paste to the pot, and sprinkle with the allspice and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften and the tomato paste darkens, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to loosen any browned bits of beef. Stir in the beef and any juices in the bowl, stir in the Pickappepa sauce, and then pour in the beef broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot one last time to make sure nothing is sticking. Stir in the carrots, then spread the diced tomatoes on top.
• Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes in an electric PC, 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. When the cooking time finishes, let the pressure come down naturally, about 25 more minutes. (After 20 minutes you can quick release any remaining pressure if you are in a hurry.)
• Unlock the pressure cooker lid. Stir in the teaspoon of fine sea salt (if not using store-bought broth, which is plenty salty), and the ½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Whisk the water and cornstarch into a slurry, and then stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew. Serve with the accompaniments and enjoy!

OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the oxtails with a good pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Add half of the oxtails to the hot oil and cook until well browned on each side, about 8 minutes total. Use tongs to remove the seared oxtail to a large plate or bowl, then repeat with the remaining oxtails; remove.
• Add the celery, carrots and onion to the pot and cook until just tender, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it turns brick red in color, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, then stir until combined. Stir in the beef broth, allspice, thyme, bay leaves, brown sugar, and Worcestershire until combined. Cut an "X" in the pointy end of the chile (opposite the stem) with a small paring knife, then add to the pot.
• Return the browned oxtails to the pot, making sure all the pieces are submerged in the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, until the meat is very tender and nearly falling off the bone, about 3 hours.
• Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Skim the excess fat from the top of the stew with a small ladle, then stir in the butter beans until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, top with scallions and serve with white rice.