Trinidad Oxtail Pelau is a simple delicious spicy savoury Caribbean dish with
caramelized dark-brown meat or chicken with rice

Trinidad Pelau is a one-pot dish, which consists of meat, chicken or seafood. The meat is marinated in herbaceous and vegetable filled green seasoning then it’s caramelized in an almost burnt brown sugar then cooked with rice, pigeon peas and vegetables such as, peppers, carrots, tomatoes etc.

Ingredients:
For the green seasoning marinade

• 1 bunch parsley
• 7 green onions
• 4 shallots
• 13 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch cilantro/coriander
• 1 half green pepper
• 1 half red pepper
• 2 tbs ketchup
• 1 tomato
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper or habanero peppers

For the browning sauce

• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• For the Rice
• 2lb oxtails seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 15 oz can pigeon peas
• 2 cups of rice
• 4-5 cups of water or beef broth
• 1 tbs Better Than Bouillon beef base (omit if you are using beef broth)
• salt for taste pepper for taste

Pickled Mango

• 1 large not too ripe mango peeled and chopped into cubes.
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp diced habanero pepper (add more or less).

Directions:

1. Place oxtail in a bowl and season with salt.  Add all the ingredients, except for the oxtails to a food processor and mix until blended well but not watery. Add a bit of water if you need help getting it going.
2. Add 1-2 cups of the processed herbs and vegetables to the oxtail and coat well. I prefer to add two cups. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and marinate in the fridge for a couple hours or 24 hours.
3. Add all the mango ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add to airtight jars and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight. Once the pelau is cooking, I like to dice the mangoes into smaller cubes (or sometimes I Julienne them as shown in the photo way below) just to make it easier to eat with the rice.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a dutch oven or pot large enough for the oxtails and rice over high heat. Add the brown sugar. Stirring frequently until the sugar is melted and frothing and bubbling turning a dark amber colour. Immediately add your meat at that point and sear all sides for about 5 minutes.
5. Cover the oxtail halfway with water and boil then cover and simmer for about 4-5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove the meat from the pot and set it to the side to cool off. Once warm enough to handle, remove all the meat from the bones leaving it in big pieces. Remove as much fatty oil as you can from the pot. Add to the pot, the rice and cook on high until all the water is evaporated. Once the water is evaporated, add two cups of your choice of rice, brown or white (I used white parboiled rice).
6. Add the water and 1 tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Beef base or or beef broth. If you don’t have either beef broth or the beef base feel free to use only water.   Let the water come to a boil then cover and simmer. Add the beef and pigeon peas and carrots and cover to finish simmering about 25-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper for taste.
7. After 25 minutes, check the rice to see if it’s done. If not continue simmering until all the water/beef broth has evaporated. You MAY have to add more water if after 30 minutes the rice isn’t done but the water is evaporated.  Once the Pelau is done serve hot or warm. I prefer to let the flavours marry and serve it warm. Top with a bit or a lot of pickled mangoes.

Recipe link here