The fragrant smell of herbed, braised red meat on a Sunday afternoon gives your home a warm, comforting feeling. Oxtail is a cut of meat that is especially well suited for long, slow braising. Rich in collagen, cooking the boney meat in a low oven heat for hours in a flavourful braising liquid breaks it down and it becomes tender and succulent.
Patience Nyongane, the owner of a catering business called “Your Favourite Chef” in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, shares her simple rendition of a boozy red wine braised oxtail with a garlic mash guaranteeing a punch of flavour with every bite.
Ingredients:
- 1 kilogram of oxtail
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 onion head
- 1 whole celery stick
- 3 chopped garlic cloves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- 2 tsp flour
- 1 tsp Cape Malay curry (Woolworths)
- A handful of rosemary sprigs.
- A couple of thyme sprigs
- 1 tinned whole peeled tomatoes
- Half a cup of dry red wine
- 1L chicken stock
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180C.
- In a bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika & cumin to coat your oxtail with this mixture.
- In a heated pot, drizzle olive oil and sear your meat until golden brown. Remove from pot and set aside.
- In the same pot, fry chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add a tablespoon of cape Malay curry
- Add whole tin peeled tomatoes to the mixture then allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the red wine & let it boil for 3 minutes, allowing the alcohol levels to evaporate.
- Add your meat to the pot, season with salt and pepper, add a few rosemary springs, thyme and 3/4 cups of chicken stock.
- Cover the pot with foil and cook in the oven for three and a half hours to four hours.
- Check the meat after two and a half hours to see if more liquid stock is needed. Taste your seasoning when sauce has thickened and add more for flavouring as needed.
For Mash
Ingredients:

- 8 potatoes
- ¼ cup thick cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup butter
- Italian parsley
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Boil water in a large pot and add potatoes.
- Cook on high – medium heat for 20min the drain the liquid.
- Add seasoning, sour cream, thick cream, butter, garlic and herbs to cooked potatoes.
- Mash with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
- Serve with braised oxtail and enjoy!