My mother loves oxtail. I never really got why. Perhaps its because it is difficult to find. After-all one ox, one tail. Now I love it and I am pretty sure it has something to do with my missing home.
The oxtail we get here is already sliced for you. It does have a lot of fat around it which is really not good for you. I do not trim it, I cook it down as much as I can and skim off the excess fat. I do not add any extra oils to this dish, I just let the meat cook in its own fat. The fat and bones actually add to the flavour of the meat.
Browning the meat is a lot fun as the fat melts away. This may take some time but will be worth it.
I do not add a lot to it except for some onions, tomatoes and herbs.
The I let it sommer away for at least two hours in beef stock.
After two hour most of the fat will have continued to melt away and you skim it away. This will go down really well with some thin sadza and sautéed rape.
Oxtail Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs oxtail
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tea spoon thyme
- 1 tea spoon curry powder
- 1 tea spoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups beef stock
Instructions
-
Brown oxtail in its own fat on medium heat. Skim excess fat. This can take up to 15 minutes depending on your oxtail
-
Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, curry powder and red pepper flakes. Cook for at least 2 minutes.
-
Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low heat and simmer for at least two hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Skim off any excess fat.
