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CaribbeanDinnerHeart-smart
Heart-smart oxtail
Rich, slow-cooked oxtail — with less of the fat that sits in the gravy.
⏱ 180 min · serves 6
Ingredients
- 3 lb oxtail, big chunks of hard fat trimmed off
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks scallion, chopped
- A few sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp pimento (allspice) berries
- 2 carrots, chunked
- 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp browning (optional, for color)
- 1 scotch bonnet, left whole (optional)
- Low-sodium broth or water to cover
- Brown rice, to serve
Steps
- 1Season the trimmed oxtail with garlic, scallion, thyme, pimento, and just a little salt. Let it sit while you prep.
- 2Brown the oxtail in a hot pot on all sides, then add onion and a touch of browning.
- 3Pour in broth or water to cover. Cover and simmer low for about 2.5 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
- 4Add carrots and butter beans in the last 30 minutes.
- 5Let it rest a few minutes, then spoon the fat off the top of the gravy.
- 6Serve over brown rice.
💚 The heart-smart moves
- Trim the hard fat before browning — the meat still falls off the bone.
- Skim the fat that rises to the top of the gravy after it cooks.
- Stretch it with carrots and butter beans so a smaller portion of meat fills the plate.
- Go easy on the browning sugar and salt — let the pimento, thyme, and scotch bonnet carry it.
Same rich, fall-off-the-bone oxtail — just less of the saturated fat that's hard on your heart.
Read more about it in Learn →Cooking guidance, not medical advice. For what’s right for your heart, talk with your doctor.