RECIPE: Braised oxtail and garlic mash will have you asking for more

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.

• READ: Government learnership empowers young chef

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: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika & cumin to coat your oxtail with this mixture.
3. In a heated pot, drizzle olive oil and sear your meat until golden brown. Remove from pot and set aside.
4. In the same pot, fry chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add a tablespoon of cape Malay curry
5. Add whole tin peeled tomatoes to the mixture then allow to simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add the red wine & let it boil for 3 minutes, allowing the alcohol levels to evaporate.
7. Add your meat to the pot, season with salt and pepper, add a few rosemary springs, thyme and 3/4 cups of chicken stock.
8. Cover the pot with foil and cook in the oven for three and a half hours to four hours.
9. 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:

1. Boil water in a large pot and add potatoes.
2. Cook on high – medium heat for 20min the drain the liquid.
3. Add seasoning, sour cream, thick cream, butter, garlic and herbs to cooked potatoes.
4. Mash with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
5. Serve with braised oxtail and enjoy!