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Meat & Poultry

Pastelles A Caribbean Christmas Tradition.

101 Comments on Pastelles A Caribbean Christmas Tradition.

Growing up on the islands pastelles were not on our hit-list for Christmas, as it wasn’t something made by our mom or dad. I do recall the lady who lived a couple houses across from us had a part time job around the holiday season where she assisted in making pastelles by the hundreds and that’s pretty much all I knew about this tasty Christmas treat. Made from beef, pork or chicken, I do crave pastelles in my adult days and it seems that by the number of requests I get every year for this recipe, it’s a must-have in many homes in Trinidad and Tobago. Very similar to recipes made in Venezuela and Latin America, our pastelle is a true refection of the diverse culture we proudly claim in Trinbago. As there are many variations today and one could even find vegetarian editions being made by suppliers.

One of the problems I encounter as a cook/chef outside the islands, is sourcing the right ingredients. So in the recipe below you’ll see that I encountered a problem with the corn meal, but with some creativity I was able to correct and tweak things.  I do hope you appreciate the creativity.

You’ll Need…

For the filling

1.5 lb mixed ground meat (pork | beef | veal)
2 onions, chopped
2 scallions
2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
2 pimento peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp Worcester sauce
3 tbsp capers (optional)
2 tbsp olives, chopped
½ cup raisins (I didn’t have any so I had to do without this time)

For the cornmeal outer layer.

2 cups cornmeal (I see my note below)
3 cups lukewarm water
4 tbsp cooking oil
1 ¼ tsp salt

Banana leaves for wrapping and about 2 tablespoon veg oil for brushing the leaves.

Note 1. I like the rounded flavor and texture of using the mixed grounded meats I mentioned in the ingredients list. The traditional way is to use beef or pork and maybe chicken and it’s not common to mix the meats. Most people stick to one type of meat.
Note 2. I was lucky to find banana leaves in the freezer section at the Asian supermarket. If you can’t source banana leaves, feel free to use aluminum foil to wrap them in. You may also want to check with Latin grocery stores for the banana leaves as I know they use it in many of their recipes.
Note 3. In 95% of the recipes you’ll see online and in cookbooks you’ll notice that they call for corn meal, I strongly believe they mean to say corn flour as I was told on the Facebook fan page.

The first thing we’ll do is to prepare the filling since we must allow it to cool before we can proceed with actually making the pastelles.  In a large sauce pan (no oil needed) add the ground meats and proceed to brown on a medium heat. Please use a wooden spoon (I find this works best) to continuously break up the meat as it cooks. We don’t want any large lumps.

As the meat cooks, lets prepare the other ingredients for adding to the filling mix. Chop the onion, garlic, peppers and scallion…  give the olives and capers a rough chop as well.

 The ground meat should be fully cooked by now. I used lean ground meats so there’s residual fat in the pan. If you find that you have oil at the bottom of the pan, try to spoon it out. Now add the diced onion, garlic, peppers and scallion to the pan and on a low/med heat allow to cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Next up, add the capers and olives give it a good stir. Finally add the black pepper, ketchup, Worcester sauce and salt. If you have raisins, add them now as well. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes, then turn off the stove and allow to cool.

As the filling cools, lets work on the outer layer. Here’s where I ran into problems as the brand and texture of the corn meal I used wasn’t working for me. It was suggested by the group on Facebook, that I should use a brand called Promasa cornmeal flour.. next rongs I guess. Basically all you’re doing is in a large bowl, mix the water, corn meal flour, oil and salt to make a dough. After trying that I realize that the water and meal I was using was not binding. So I quickly placed it in a pot and on a low heat cooked it for a few minutes. But you must continuously stir.. that is if your corn meal gives problem as mine did. If you have the right corn foul as I suggested there’s no need for cooking as I did.

 

So after my issues with the dough.. I moved on. Make 12 equal balls with the dough, but as you make them.. be sure to cover with plastic wrap pr a damp tea towel or they will dry up.

Let’s prepare the green banana leaves for wrapping these packets of heaven. If you’re using fresh cut leaves you’ll have to pass them over an open flame to make them easier to work with. If not, they will not fold and will burst/crack on you. Since I was using frozen leaves which I found at the Asian store (also check Latin groceries as well) I didn’t have to pass them over any flame (make sure they’re thawed though). Cut them into 8 to 10 inch squares, wipe with a wet towel to clean off any residue and get ready to assemble.

I had a small bowl with vegetable oil and a brush handy. Brush some oil in the middle of each leaf, then place a ball of dough and worked it till I got a fairly large circle (make sure you have even thickness). If you have a tortilla press, it will make this step very easy for you. Now grab a heaping tablespoon (or more) of the cooled filling and place in the center. Using the sides of the leaf, fold until you get a small package (see video below). Now tie with some string and repeat for the rest of them.

You’ll find that some people choose to boil these, but I much prefer to have them steamed. Since I don’t own a steamer, I made one with what I already have. In a large pan, I put about 1-2 cups of water, brought that up to a boil, then placed a wire strainer on top (do not have the water touch the pastelles). I then I placed the uncooked pastelles on top, made sure the heat was set so I had a gentle simmer (to create steam) and I placed the laid of the pan over it to trap that steam. In the video below you’ll see what I mean. Steam for about 20-25 minutes and they should be fully cooked.

Well, after 20 minutes I was enjoying my pastelles with some good pepper sauce. If I find the time before Christmas, I’ll try to share a chow chow recipe with you all. That’s one of the main condiments to go with the foods we enjoy around the holidays.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Meat & Poultry

Enticing Garlic Pork At Christmas.

42 Comments on Enticing Garlic Pork At Christmas.

While it’s common in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago to see garlic pork served on Christmas morning and during the holiday season, that was not the case in our home. Pork dishes did make it to the table, but it was stewed, baked in the oven, grilled and even fried, but no garlic pork as far as I recall. On the islands food plays a huge part of the Christmas celebrations and as a kid I remember getting excited with the scent of cake and ham baking in the oven and the many other delicacies being prepared in the kitchen, than I would to open gifts on Christmas morning. Christmas memories for me surround scents (food, new curtains, paint and the new sheets on the bed that had a hint of moth balls), sounds (parang, people singing and the odd intoxicated person rambling on) and joyous emotions (the smiles, inviting people to your home and everyone in an overall good mood).

Garlic pork is one of those dishes where the influence came from people who arrived from other countries and settled in the Caribbean. This is why it’s mainly popular in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, since this is where most of the Portuguese settlers called home. Looking at the preparation I can only assume that this was done out of necessity, as there were no readily available refrigerators back then, to keep the meat for long periods of time.

Here’s my take on this classic Christmas dish called garlic pork.

You’ll Need…

4 lbs pork
2 cups vinegar (everyday white vinegar)
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (any hot pepper you like)
1/2 cup shado beni (optional)
2 tablespoon salt
20 cloves garlic
oil for frying (vegetable or any oil which can handle high heat)

* You’ll need some patience as this must marinate for a few days at least.

Notes. Shado beni may not be traditional to this dish, but it’s what make’s it uniquely Trinbagonian so you know I had to add it. Thyme works great with this as well as oregano, but I didn’t have any fresh herbs so I couldn’t be bothered. If using thyme and/or oregano, I’ll recommend using about 1-2 tablespoon chopped. After marinating, I’ve seen some people boil the pork, then fry.. not my thing, so I just fried. You may also see some recipes call for cider vinegar.. since this will be marinating in a ton of garlic, I really don’t see the use for anything but basic vinegar.

It’s now time to trim the pork. In my case I purchased a leg portion with the middle bone… so all I did was cut away into 1 inch cubes. You’ll notice that I did leave back a bit of the fat.. that’s just my preference. Try to use  a cheap piece of pork and not something expensive like a tenderloin (unless you have the coins). For those of you worried about the fat, a regular loin would be a great option for this.

I then rinsed the pieces of cut pork with a little vinegar and water and drained. Then I chopped the shando beni, garlic and pepper very fine. Again, this is just my way of doing things, but you can certainly put everything except the pork into a food processor or blender and make a paste instead.

In a bowl I placed the vinegar, salt, shando beni, pepper and garlic and gave it a good whisk.

Up next is to marinate this (I did say you’ll need some patience). Traditionally this is marinated in an earthen jar or anything that’s non reactive, but in my case I’m using a freezer strength zip lock bag (which I will double up on in case of any leaks). First I placed the washed and drained pieces of pork, then I poured the seasoning mixture in and made sure every piece got coated. I also try to remove all the air I can, so the only thing the meat gets into contact with during the marinating process is the seasoning/vinegar.

 After doubling up on the bags, I placed it in the fridge and allowed it to marinate for 4-5 days. During which time I’ll massage it a couple times at least, to move the pieces of meat and seasoning around a bit. You will notice a couple things…. if your bag/s is not sealed good, you will have a very strong garlicky scent when you open your fridge (not good) and the pieces of meat will go from being pink to a very non attractive pale white. That is normal. The vinegar is breaking down the meat and curing it at the same time. BTW, I’ve been told that traditionally this was left in a cool dark corner of the kitchen/house and not in the fridge as I did.

After 5 days I removed it from the fridge and drained it using a colander. I then removed most of the big pieces of garlic and discarded them. Now try to get as much liquid/moisture away from the pork. Squeeze, then place on paper towels, as we all know what will happen when liquid hits heated oil.

 In a heavy saucepan, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) on a med/high setting. Ensuring you’ve dried up most of the liquid the pork was marinating in, start adding a few pieces to the pan. Try not to overcrowd the pan or if they touch they can form steam and you’ll get boiled pork rather than fried.You may have to cook the pieces for about 7-10 minutes or so and flip them around so you get that golden brown color on all sides. You’ll obviously have to do these in batches. I had a paper towel lined plate waiting to soak up all the excess oil when they were done cooking.

During each batch you may be required to add a bit more oil to the pan to avoid the pieces of meat sticking. While this fry you may notice that (if you have pieces of fat as I did) it will ‘burst’ and splatter, so use a splatter screen if you have one. How long and how brown/crisp you want your garlic pork pieces is entirely up to you. If I was making this for my dad I know he’d want it crispy, so I’d have to keep it cooking for a bit over the 10 minutes I mentioned above.

I do hope you guys give this garlic pork a test drive this holiday season and if you’re stuck in the bitter cold of Northern climates, pretend for a second that you’re enjoying a tropical Christmas.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Meat & Poultry

Classic Jerk Chicken Wings In the Oven.

66 Comments on Classic Jerk Chicken Wings In the Oven.

Some of you will be saying “Chris this is just your original jerk marinade scaled down”, but with Tehya in the kitchen with me… I had to do this from scratch for her. This chile keeps having craving for spicy food, so this time when she came to me to make up a batch of jerk wings for her, I told her it’s time she learned how to organize it herself. You can see her in action in the jerk chicken wings video I posted late last night on the food channel.

I must mention that there’s no comparison to making this over coals on a grill, but with winter approaching I wanted to give you guys the option to be able to do this in the oven indoors. Now don’t get me wrong… no winter will ever stop me from grilling on the BBQ as I have no problem dressing like Sasquatch and taking on the cold to do my thing on the BBQ outside.

You’ll Need…

2 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Habanero pepper (scotch bonnet or any that you like)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic

3 lbs chicken wings.

The first thing we have to do is make the jerk marinade. Give the onion, garlic, hot pepper and scallions a rough chop so it’s easier for the blender or food processor to work it into the runny consistency we’ll need. Remember to wear gloves when working with peppers with extreme heat like habanero and scotch bonnet.

Basically all we need to do now is pour everything into the food processor and give it a few pulses until you get a sort of smooth (runny) consistency.

* If you don’t have access to a food processor or blender, you can certainly chop everything as fine as you can and give it all a good mix in a bowl.

 We then washed the chicken wings with some lemon juice (you can use lime or vinegar as well – about 3-4 tablespoons) and rinsed with cool water and drain. Pat dry with paper towels so the marinade can really stick onto the wings. Pour 1/3 of the marinade on the wings and using your hands, massage the wings with this lovely jerk marinade. Allow this to marinate for at least 30 minutes, before you place it into a 400 degree oven (middle rack).

 After 30 minutes we took it out of the oven to give it a good stir (flip wings) and put back for another 30 minutes.

The last 5 minutes you can turn on the broiler setting and allow the wings to get a rich brown color with a sort of toasted edges. You may have to give them a flip to ensure all sides gets this lovely sort of charred look.

You will notice there will be a sort of gravy formed at the bottom, this is excellent to pour over peas and rice to accompany these jerk chicken wings.

Tips: Line your baking dish with aluminum foil or use a disposable pan when roasting these in the oven as I did (it will make clean-up much easier). Add some brown sugar and fresh ginger to the marinade for that extra kick of flavor. Remember that most of the heat in peppers are in the seeds and area around the seeds. So if you want to cut back on the heat level, remove the seeds.

To make dry wings, simply place the wings on a wire rack over your baking dish after the wings have been marinating. This will give you crispy wings which will be packed with a good punch of Jamaican jerk goodness.

Tehya was quite happy with the final outcome of her first jerk chicken wings and though she was a bit hesitant to use the large chef’s knife to chop the onions etc.. she was very proud of her accomplishment. In future videos/recipes I’ll try to include Indy and Kieana so you guys can get to know them better and they can learn how to cook so they too can carry on our culinary traditions. It’s time we got our children involved in the kitchen and away from all the other distractions (video games, computer, cell phones.. boys!)

Before I forget… the remaining jerk marinade can be stored in a plastic bowl in the fridge for at least a week or frozen for a couple months.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Meat & Poultry Vegetarian

The Simplicity And Splendor of Dasheen.

3 Comments on The Simplicity And Splendor of Dasheen.

There’s been a few times while in the produce section at the grocery store pondering over the limited ground provision section, when I’ve been questioned about some of the selections. People are very interested in learning more about the “strange” foods which now occupy space on the shelves… name, where it comes from, how do you prepare it, taste, texture and how to shop for them. Grocers should post a little info card with items that’s not necessarily common to everyday shoppers.

Before you send me “clarification” emails I have to mention that what I used (as it was labelled) is “taro” and not dasheen. Pretty much the same thing if you ask me, but I just wanted to be clear (I’ve being getting buff lately). We were down at the St Lawrence Market this past Saturday and after sampling some of the freshly made oven roasted pork belly which also had that rich smokey taste of bacon and the sort of crispy skin that crackles with fatty goodness… we just had to get some to take home with us. My dad grew up on my great grandparents cocoa and coffee plantation and being there was no electricity or fridge.. a lot of their meats were smoked, salted or brine. As soon as my dad saw the thick slices of the bacon, he spoke about his childhood days and eating this with ground provisions. Yup! The lights went off in my head as I knew I had a taro in my fridge from my grocery trip a couple days back.

You’ll Need..

2 lbs dasheen or taro (peeled and cubed)
1 medium onion slice
1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (any hot pepper you like)
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable)
2 cloves garlic sliced
dash black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 green onion chopped (scallion)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 lb bacon

The bacon I used was  pork belly which was smoked as would bacon, then oven roasted with some sort of glaze. The crispy skin and bit’s of fat will work well with this dish. If pork is not your thing or you’d like to keep this vegetarian, you can omit any meat in the refrying step. Another option instead of the bacon would be pieces of slated cod fish or any sort of smoked meats you like.

The first part of the recipe is basically how to peel, cut and cook taro or dasheen. After which you can mix it with some butter and have it very  basic. Or you can certainly refry with bacon or smoke meats as I will show you later and also make it vegetarian by not using any sort of meat. Additionally you can mash as you would potatoes and make a creamy mashed dasheen by adding milk/cream, butter and some fresh ground black pepper. (to peel use a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler)

Peel, cut into pieces (same size for uniform cooking time) and wash under cool water. If you’re using freshly harvested taro or dasheen you may want to wear gloves when peeling to prevent your hands from itching. Then place in a deep pot, cover with water (about 1 inch above the last piece), bring to a boil, reduce your heat to a rolling boil and let cook about 20 minutes or until tender. This is when you’d also add the salt to the boiling pot with the taro.Since there are a few factors which will account for how quickly your dasheen or taro cooks, I cannot guarantee that your cooking time will be the same. I would test after 15-20 minutes using this method… using a sharp paring knife, stick it into a piece of the taro. If there’s no resistance, it means that it’s cooked. Please bear in mind that the top pieces (pieces from the top portion of the actual taro, called the ‘head’… where it was attached to the stems during growth) may take a little longer to cook.

 

When the taro or dasheen comes to a boil you’ll notice some froth acquire at the top of the pot. Please spoon that out and discard. I believe that’s a combination of starch and some other impurities. While the taro was boiling I prepared the other ingredients for refrying it with.

After about 20 minutes of boiling (with the lid off) I tested to see if the pieces were cooked, then I drained and began the steps involved in refrying. At this point is when you can enjoy with butter or make into a mash as I explained above.

I then placed the butter and oil into a sauce pan (fairly deep) under medium heat, then added the pieces of smoked bacon that I cut into cubes earlier. Allow this to cook for a few minutes, until you start getting crispy edges.


 

 

 

 

 

I then added the garlic, onions, slices of scotch bonnet and black pepper. Allow that to cook for a couple minutes to soften and infuse it’s flavor into the entire dish. The final step is to now add the pieces of cooked dasheen or taro, top with the green onions and stir. Allow that to cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. With the natural sugars in the taro, the edges may start to go golden, so you may want to reduce the heat a bit. I love this texture and the taste of the sort of burnt edges, so I allow mine to cook on high heat. That’s just my preference.

So now you know a bit about dasheen and/or taro and I do hope you give it a try the next time you come across it in the grocery store or roadside vendor. There was enough here to serve about 3-4 people as a complete meal.

Oye! before you go… Remember you can watch the cooking videos on the recipe channel and we’d love to interact with you on our Facebook fan page. There’s a few thousand of us already causing commesse on there… so do check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

Meat & Poultry Vegetarian

Eggplant With Potatoes A Classic Vegetarian Dish.

14 Comments on Eggplant With Potatoes A Classic Vegetarian Dish.

baigan and aloo recipe

Similar to the original curry baigan and aloo recipe I shared with you guys back in 2009 (time really flies), this one is very flexible and can work as a vegetarian meal or you can add left over stewed meats or pieces of salted cod and take it to another level. With the strong East Indian influence in our culinary traditions, you’ll find than many of the vegetables and ways of cooking is directly related to that connection. This is why you’ll see from time to time I mention names of things you won’t necessarily be familiar with, but I do try to clear things up on such occasions. Baigan is just another word for eggplant and aloo is basically potato. So don’t be surprised to see this dish refereed to as baigan and aloo in some Trinbago restaurants.

You’ll Need…
1 lb Japanese eggplant (or your fav)
2-3 cloves garlic sliced or crushed
1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (any hot pepper you like)
1/2 large onion diced
1 large potato cubed -chunky
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable)
dash black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

* As with the ingredients listed above, this is a vegetarian dish but I had some left over stewed chicken which I added the last 5 minutes of cooking to enhance the flavor a bit (this is optional). The stewed chicken recipe can be found at: Ultimate Trinbagonian Stew Chicken.

We’ll start by prepping all the ingredients. Peel and dice the onion, slice the pepper and crush or slice very thin the garlic. I decided to leave the skin on a couple of the eggplant for a bit of texture and to get some of that unique sweetness that Japanese eggplant seems to have. The other two I peeled. I then cut off the stems and cut each eggplant into three sections (length) to which I then cut strips, similar to if I were making fries. Finally I peeled, washed and cubed (in chunks) the potato. I used a Yukon Gold variety as I just love the sort of creamy texture of it. But you’re free to use any variety of potato you may have.

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On a medium/high heat I heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the pieces of sliced (or crushed) garlic and allow that to cook for a couple minutes. You should start getting that wonderful garlic scent and the edges should start going golden. Now add the pieces of eggplant, then top with the onion, pepper, salt, black pepper and potato. Give it a good stir, then add the water. Bring it up to a boil, then lower te heat to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 25 minutes with the saucepan covered. Be sure to stir every 7 minutes or so.

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You will find that it will start to melt away and turn into a sort of mushy texture… this is exactly what we’re looking for. After 25 minutes, the eggplant and potato should be tender and this is a good time to add any leftover meats you may want to add. If you plan on adding salted cod to this dish, I would add it after adding the garlic and allow it to cook for a couple minutes before adding everything else. If you’re keeping this dish strictly vegetarian, after 25 minutes if you have a lot of liquid left in the pan, turn up the heat and cook it off. You should not se any clear liquid in the finished dish.

If you did add pieces of left over stewed chicken as I did, turn up the heat after adding and cook until any liquid burns off.. usually about 3-5 minutes. Taste for salt as I’m sure your taste is  different than mine. Add accordingly.

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This goes well with Sada Roti and should be enough for 4-5 people as a side. I was at my sisters restaurant a while back and was quite surprised at how many people came in especially for this… but without any meat and curried as I shared in the previous recipe.

Oye! before you go… Remember you can watch the cooking videos on the recipe channel and we’d love to interact with you on our Facebook fan page. There’s a few thousand of us already causing commesse on there… so do check it out.

Meat & Poultry

Stewed Oxtail With Butter Beans.

273 Comments on Stewed Oxtail With Butter Beans.

jamaican oxtail recipe

Oxtail was one of those things which was never cooked in our home while growing up (I don’t ever recall my mom cooking this back then), so it’s not something I learned to cook from the main culinary influences in my life… mom, dad, aunt and grandmothers. But the immigrant life is one in which you tend to associate with people who are similar to you and can relate to your struggles, so my friends were from other Caribbean islands. Partially living in each others homes, saw us not only learn about the food from each island, but we all grew a new appreciation for the diverseness of the Caribbean in general. Though the basic foundation to Caribbean food is the same, the end product and methods of preparation can differ.

This recipe for cooking oxtail with butter beans is one I picked up from a restaurant owner (had to beg d man to share) where I would go get my weekly fill of Caribbean food which I didn’t have to cook. I’m sure he didn’t tell me his secrets, but I did add a few things to give it my personal touch. BTW, did you know that the last Stewed Oxtail recipe I shared a while back is one of the more popular dishes I have on the site? See: Savory oxtail in a rich and thick gravy. Take a look at all the comments below it.


You’ll Need…

2lbs of oxtail (ask your butcher to cut it into 1 inch pieces)
1 tin of butter beans (lima)
5 cups of water
1 onion
2 tomatoes
2 scallion (green onions)
1/2 a scotch bonnet pepper (I used a whole one)
2 carrots
3 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 tablespoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

* You’ll need about 3 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice to wash the oxtail pieces with (use vinegar as well).

Place the cut pieces of oxtail in a bowl and pour the lime juice over it, give it a good stir and pour in some water. Wash each piece off, then drain. Rinse with cool water and pat dry. Now in a fairly large pan, heat the vegetable oil on high and brown the pieces of oxtail. Try not to crowd the pan or it will not brown properly and it will release a tons of liquid. I did mine in two batches.

While this was browning (takes about 15 minutes) I prepared the other ingredients (wash, peeled and chopped)

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With the pieces of oxtail all browned, you may need an extra tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan (not mentioned in the ingredients list above).. add the diced onion and garlic. Let that cook on medium heat for a few minutes. Then add back the pieces of oxtail and top with the herbs and vegetables.

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Give that good stir, then add the salt, black pepper and allspice. Now top with the 5 cups of water (enough water to cover everything) and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, reduce to as low as you can and have it at a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let that simmer (braise) for about 2 hrs or until the meat is tender. We’d like to have the meat fall off the bones. Depending on the age of the oxtail it may take a bit longer for you. If you have a pressure cooker, this will save you a ton of cooking time. NOTE: If you’re using dried butter beans, now would be the time to put them in as well, so they too get tender.

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Rinse the can of beans to remove the salty brine-like solution its packed in and add it to the pot. Cover and let cook for another 20 minutes.. until the beans are infused with the flaovours of the stewed oxtails and so that the gravy thickens up a bit. Be gently when handling the beans as they are very tender and can fall apart very easily. NOTE: I cheated a bit and added a 1/4 teaspoon of Caribbean style browning. But this is totally optional.. I wanted a nice caramel colour to my finished dish.

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This is one of those dishes where you must have patience to allow it to slowly cook and do it’s thing.. to get tender. Besides this method or using a pressure cooker, I’m sure you can also add everything to a slow cooker (after you’ve browned the ox tail pieces) and let it cook slowly all day while you relax. This pot was enough to serve about 5 people with a side of rice and peas and a nice fresh green salad.

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— Winner Wanted!—

It’s that time again – we’re giving away the following book (see below) to one lucky person for the month of August.  All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comments section below (please say something about this recipe) and your name will be automatically entered to win this fascinating book written by Judi Krogh. If you recall I did a feature on “Easy Cooking In the Caribbean” a few weeks back and with the kindness of Dallison and the Krogh family, we’re able to give out a copy to one lucky winner.

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There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment  there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about Caribbean food and if the recipes I share are helpful.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Easy Cooking In The Caribbean”…

– contest is open to everyone globally

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from August 11 – to midnight August 31.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this book out to you. It’s simple, free and a great way to experiment with some traditional and non-traditional Caribbean dishes in your kitchen. Judi left us a wonderful resource that reflects her lifetime passion for cooking and sharing meals with family and friends.

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Oye! before you go… Remember you can watch the cooking videos on the recipe channel and we’d love to interact with you on our Facebook fan page. There’s a few thousand of us already causing commesse on there… so do check it out.