Authentic Jamaican Oxtails

This is a combination of 3 oxtail recipes that I got from my 3 Jamaican co-workers which I tweaked a bit to suit my taste. When I cooked this for them, it passed with flying colors. The Jamaican doorman at P's work tried it too - and requested for a bigger bowl ("big pot" was his exact words) next time.

I went to the meat market and asked the butcher to cut up 4 pounds of fresh Oxtails for me. I washed them thoroughly with water and lemon juice, patted dry. The marinade paste: Mix 1 medium-sized Bell Pepper (minced), dried Thyme Leaves, 1 medium Onion (minced), 3 cloves Garlic (crushed), a bunch of Scallions (chopped finely) , a small packet of Accent Powdered Seasoning, Salt (may use Adobo or Lawry's Seasoned Salt instead), and Black Pepper with a tablespoon of Vegetable Oil and rub this "paste" all over the Oxtails. Marinate for at least 2 hours or for best results, overnight.
In a large pot, saute a medium sized minced Onion in a tablespoon of Vegetable Oil. Drop in 3 crumbled dried Bay Leaf and some chopped Scallions. Cook the Oxtails until brown and some of their fat has rendered. Add water, just enough to cover the oxtails. The sauce should be thick in the end, not watery "stew-like". Drop in a packet of Goya (Sin Achiote) Seasoning and 1 cube of Beef Boullion. Bring Oxtails to a boil, lower fire and cover. Let simmer for approx. 1 1/2 hours (using a pressure cooker would cut the time roughly in half) or until meat is tender, checking them occasionally. Add water as needed to keep it from getting too dry. If you feel there's too much fat in the pot, this is the time to separate the meat from the sauce and skim off excess oil from the sauce. Return the meat to the pot and add a package of frozen Butter Beans (Bird's Eye or White Rose brand will do). Cover and let simmer for another 30 minutes. If you want to use the canned Lima Beans instead (Jamaican brand: Grace), its already cooked and soft so you can shorten the cooking time by 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning according to taste. Add a tablespoon of Gravy Master Browning Sauce (and thickener) to the cooked Oxtails and stir for about 5 minutes more.

Served with boiled Yucca, Collard Greens, and Plantains. I like it with just plain Steamed Rice.