The Oxtail Stew I grew up eating — memory as a review

I grew up eating Oxtail Stew and have strong opinions shaped by memory. The version here triggered that recognition in the first bite — the smoky from the jerk pit was right, coconut milk was handled the way it should be.

Jamaican jerk cooking traces to the Maroon communities who preserved meat with allspice and chilli. Growing up it was always a roadside rum bar, which shaped my reference point entirely. Red Stripe beer alongside it is the only way it makes sense to me. It's hard to be objective about food you have emotional history with, but objectively: this is very good.