Yearning for an oxtail recipe that transports you back to childhood? Oxtail has always been a dish that brings comfort and satisfaction and this saucy, stove-top slow-cooked, hearty oxtail with lots of chunks of whole tomatoes, carrots, and onions is no different.
Marina Fourie, project and brand manager at Beef and Lamb SA, generously divulges a tantalising oxtail recipe. This culinary masterpiece skillfully marries perfectly prepared oxtail with a rich, flavourful sauce, elevating its taste to new heights. Beef and Lamb SA is the consumer education project of the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS).
“It reminds me of very cold Sundays at home in Johannesburg,” says Fourie referring to the saucy oxtail recipe. “It’s best served with slow-roasted sweet potatoes and couscous and made with my mom’s ‘1 cup’ sauce which comprises one cup of Worcestershire sauce, one cup of apricot jam, one cup of tomato sauce, and 1 cup of red wine.”
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A refreshing twist
Fourie’s recipe shows that oxtail isn’t just for old-fashioned dishes. It works with new cooking methods, going beyond the usual ways. This enticing twist on oxtail evokes a sense of home while embracing contemporary culinary creativity.
So whether you relish Mzansi’s robust stews or crave a culinary adventure this festive season, make this tantalising oxtail recipe your go-to for comforting and flavourful dishes.
This recipe was brought to life as part of the Red Meat Industry Services’ Beef and Lamb SA consumer education project. The Red Meat Industry Services is an organisation dedicated to the growth and advancement of the red meat industry in South Africa.
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SAUCY OXTAIL
Ingredients
- 2kg oxtail, cut into 3-4 cm pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 sticks celery, sliced into 2cm pieces
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cloves
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tins (410g) tomatoes or 4 large fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup apricot jam
- ½ cup fruit chutney
- 4 cups beef stock
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Place a large roasting tray in the oven to preheat.
2. Remove the heated tray from the oven and place the oxtail into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the oxtail. Toss to coat and place in the hot oven for 30 minutes until brown and caramelised.
3. Prepare the onions, celery and carrots and place them into a large ovenproof casserole dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place over medium heat to sweat.
4. Strip the thyme and rosemary off the stems and chop roughly. Add to the vegetables, add the bay leaves and cook for about 20 minutes until tender. Stir frequently.
5. Remove the oxtail from the oven, set aside and turn the oven heat down to 160ºC.
6. Add the tomato paste to the vegetables, mix with the vegetables and cook until the tomato paste starts to caramelise. Add the cloves and flour and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, the oxtail and the roasting juices.
7. Mix the wine, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, apricot jam and chutney and pour over the oxtail. Cover with the beef stock and stir to blend all the ingredients. Bring the oxtail mixture to the boil, place the lid on the casserole dish and place in the hot oven for 3 ½ hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. Stir the oxtail every hour and add water if liquid is required. The oxtail can also be cooked over low heat on top of the stove.
8. Remove from the oven and set aside for about 10 minutes. Using 2 forks strip the meat from the bones, and return to the casserole dish. Use the bones to make a stock.
9. Serve the oxtail with couscous, slow-roasted sweet potatoes and steamed green vegetables.
