There are several seasonal ingredients that aren't easy to come by, and sometimes overlooked by many of us. Green almonds are among them — they have a delicious flavor, something like a buttery almond, very delicate. You can understand why I decided to make the oxtail and green almond stew.
I usually buy a few kilos of green almonds (I find them at the local farmers market in big bags). The season for these almonds is between April and mid-May, but for cooking purposes you want to grab almonds from the beginning of the season, before the shell hardens.
Yes, you can eat the shell — it tastes good, a bit sour, and it's a great addition to any salad or just on its own. They make a great snack: just crack the shell and eat the white inner grain. Delicious.
The earthy, buttery flavor of the green almonds is exactly what I wanted to add to the oxtail stew. This variation really adds extra flavor — I halve the green almonds and throw them into the stew to get tender.
If you come across late-season green almonds where the shell isn't edible, you can strain them out afterwards and use the shells only as a flavor enhancer.
For this recipe I used a pressure cooker. It's not a must, but I wanted my oxtail and green almond stew ready in 2 hours, not 6 like a regular stew. It's not a must, but it does save time.
Method
1
preparing the stew
In a pressure cooker, lace all the stew ingredients, add about 3 liters/ 7fl oz. water to cover the stew, and close the lid.
Place on the highest pressure and cook for 2-3 hours
2
serving· 2 hours
After about 2 hours remove from heat, remember that the pressure cooker needs to cool down so don't open the lid for 1 hour after the cooking has finished.
The meat will be super tender almost falling from the bone.
Serve immediately and drizzle some olive oil and a bit more salt on top.
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
Can I use regular (mature) almonds instead of green almonds?▾
Don't swap them — green almonds have a totally different texture and mild, fresh flavor that makes this stew special. Mature almonds won't soften the same way under pressure and will change the whole dish.
Why can't I open the pressure cooker lid right after cooking?▾
The cooker needs a full hour to cool and depressurize safely after you take it off the heat. Rushing this is dangerous — just leave it alone and let it do its thing.
How do I know when the meat is ready?▾
After 2 hours check it — the meat should be super tender and almost falling off the bone. If it's not there yet, give it up to another hour at high pressure.
Can I scale this down for fewer people?▾
Yes, just halve the ingredients for a smaller batch. Keep enough water to fully cover everything in the pot, that part doesn't scale down proportionally.
Do I need to brown the oxtail before pressure cooking?▾
The recipe doesn't call for it — everything goes straight into the pressure cooker raw. Keep it simple and let the pressure do the heavy lifting.
