Jamaican Oxtail Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs oxtails
1/2 lb carrot, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups water (or 3 cups water and 1 cup beef stock)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Flour Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
water, as needed

Preparation

Clean oxtails, trim away any excess fat, and cut into 2-inch pieces.
Combine all ingredients, except the dumplings, in a large, heavy saucepan.
Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
Add water if necessary.
Stir, add the dumplings, and return to low heat for 20 minutes.
Serve hot.
FLOUR DUMPLINGS:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and slowly add enough cold water to make a stiff dough.
(A sticky dough makes a soft pasty dumpling.).
Knead in the bowl or on a lightly floured board until smooth.
Break off small pieces about the size of a walnut and roll between your hands. It should be similar to a long tube with pointy ends. They're usually about 3-4 inches long.
Add to the stew for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
*As an alternative to the dumplings, 1 1/2 cups large dry lima beans can be added with the other ingredients at the start of the cooking.
Or 1 (16 oz.) can of lima beans can be drained and added 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.