Oxtail
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday November 22, 2022 06:00
From time to time our folks give us a ration after go tlhabiwa ko morakeng wa my dad in-law Mr. T, mantlheng a Mosolotshane.
It is usually a neatly jumble of bones with deep maroon meat marbled with cream-coloured fat, tota oxtail is quite a beautiful cut of meat. Oxtail needs the slowest cooking.
Once browned in hot oil (which is my preferred method), you need to lead an oxtail along the slow road to tenderness. The bones will sit in either stock, water or wine, with robust aromatics of choice and/or availability.
This is easily the simplest but most satisfying meal to cook. The hours spent layering the flavours, loving the meat and moving it around every 30min attentively to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot and more importantly to ensure every piece receives the same attention and ultimately taste.
I do not own a slow cooker but am aware that for meals such as this one, it really does come in handy especially to save time and electricity, bathong! Motlakase wa tura. This is not a dish that needs updating but a curious cook can always get creative with the finer details.
It is worth serving a stew such as this in a bowl and offering a spoon as well as a knife and fork. No one will want to miss one drop of the rich sauce that has marrow and bone infusion.
Oxtail is best served with a good number of starches, Pap, Fluffy 2 ingredient Nutriday Dumplings, Golden 2 ingredient Magwinya or basmati rice. After attentively attending to my pot for a few hours, I always choose the easiest side and it so happens they are the boys’ favourite, either dumplings or fat cakes. I have shared the 2 Ingredient Nutriday recipe several times and it can be found on the Chellzkitchen Facebook page.
Oil 3 tbsp; Oxtail 1.5kg; Onions 3 medium; 4 large carrots; 3 large potatoes; Plain flour 3 heaped tbsp; Red wine 350ml, light and fruity Optional; Beef Stock; 1 litre/water; Garlic a whole head; Bay Leaves 4; Thyme; 6 bushy sprigs Warm the olive oil in a very large, deep pot over a moderate heat.
Sprinkle the flour over the pieces of oxtail, season with Salt and Pepper and let them sizzle in the hot oil, turning them as each side darkens to a rich golden brown. While the oxtail is browning, peel and roughly chop the onions and carrots, and cut the potatoes into short cubes. Remove the oxtail from the pan to a plate then tip the onions in the pot, toss them in the oil and general stickiness left by the oxtail, then leave them to cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a fierce but brief bubble. Slice the head of garlic in half horizontally. Pour in the stock and bring back to the boil then season with a little salt, the garlic, bay leaves and thyme.
Return the oxtail to the pan. Lower the heat so the liquid bubbles slowly, cover with a lid and allow to cook for 3/4hrs. Lift the lid, check the oxtail’s progress and stir every 30min. If at the end the meat still clings tightly to the bones, cover and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes or until the meat is soft and can easily be pulled from the bone.
Lift the garlic out and remove the soft cloves from their skins, crush them with a fork and return them to the sauce. Check the seasoning and correct with black pepper and, if necessary, more salt.