Smoked Oxtail and Sweet Potato Stew in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 pounds smoked oxtail, cut into segments
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (Optional)

Step 1

Tos the oxtails, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic into a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the canned tomatoes and beef broth over everything. Then sprinkle in the brown sugar, chili powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and add the bay leaves. Give it all a good stir to combine.

Step 2

Cover the slow cooker and let it cook on high for about 5 to 6 hours. It’s a good idea to give it a gentle stir now and then while it’s cooking.

Step 3

Once the time’s up, carefully take the oxtails out and set them aside to cool a bit. When they’re cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bones and toss the bones away.

Step 4

There might be some fat floating on top of the stew—skim that off with a spoon. Then add the shredded meat back to the slow cooker. Give it a taste and adjust the sweetness, salt, or pepper if you feel it needs a little something extra.

Step 5

Finally, stir everything together, ladle it into bowls, and sprinkle with some fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy!