This is where my cooking journey started. Miserable, bored and stuck in a rut with the food I was eating I missed home dearly and asked my mother for the family oxtail recipe. South African comfort food I call it, especially on those subzero evenings in winter. Yes, it does get cold there…
OXTAIL BRAISED IN RED WINE
Serves 4 – Preparation: 30 mins – Cooking: 3 hrs
Ingredients
- 150g (5 ounces) dried haricot beans
- 1.5kg (3 pounds) oxtail, segmented
- flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 12 shallots, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 250ml (1 cup) red wine
- 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
- 60ml (4 tablespoons) tomato purée
- 250ml (1 cup) boiling-hot water
- 45ml (3 tbsp) brown sugar (optional)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) dried thyme (optional)
- 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) teaspoon dried sweet basil (optional)
- 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
Method
- Soak the beans in water overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Trim the excess fat from the oxtail.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan over a moderate heat. Dust the oxtail in seasoned flour, then add to the pan and colour until golden brown on all sides.
- Add the shallots, garlic, wine and stock.
- Mix the tomato purée with the boiled water. Add the sugar to the tomato mixture to neutralise the acidity. Give it a good stir to remove all lumps and add tomato mixture to the oxtail.
- Rinse the beans thoroughly under running water and add to the meat.
- Add the herbs if desired.
- Bring the oxtail to a simmer and braise in the preheated oven. After 1 hour lower the heat to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 and braise for a further 2 hours.
- For best results, remove the pot from the oven, let it cool down and leave in fridge to marinate further overnight. After it has been reheated, don’t forget to remove the bay leaf.
Serving Suggestions
Rice or mash, and roasted parsnips are great accompaniments.
Notes
- Oxtail varies from 1 to 1.8kg in weight. Ask your butcher to cut it into segments for you.
- This dish freezes well.
Isn’t this just one of life’s most comforting recipes? I adore makign it because it’s easy and freezes so well… and it tastes damn fine!
Jeanne: You’re right. I usually make a huge pot of it, then freeze it in batches. Neil, who is British, absolutely freaks out about it.
Sugar does not neutralize acids in tomatoes….. it just makes them sweet. Baking soda will neutralize the acid.
I was on my second session of cooking this wonderfull meal. In a rush I forgot to soak the Haricot Beans the night before, so substituted these with a tin of Baked Beans in Tomato and omitted the puree/water and sugar. Still devine.
I made this yesterday for our dinner and this recipe rocks! Thanks A LOT!!
Agree with Russ that the sugar does just make it sweet. Might wannna put less sugar in next time.
I finally got to make this, and it turned out pretty good. I decided to make it a little bit more of a one-pot meal and added quinoa to it, with a little extra beef stock. My husband really liked it!
Thanks, guys! I’m glad you enjoyed devouring this lovely oxtail recipe.
This recipe looks great. Does anyone have an suggestions of a dessert/pudding to serve after.
Gill: Since the oxtail stew is quite heavy and rich, I recommend a dessert on the lighter and tangy side. Here are a few recipes from Greedy Gourmet:
http://www.greedygourmet.com/2009/10/09/apple-and-blackberry-crumble/
http://www.greedygourmet.com/2007/10/22/baked-apples-stuffed-with-almonds-honey-and-cinnamon/
Otherwise a fresh fruit salad will do. Enjoy!
Hi, This sounds like something I would love. I crave oxtails about twice a year and am always looking for something new to enjoy.
The recipe calls for 4 Tbs Tomato Puree. I’m in California, USA and would like to know if Tomato Puree is what we call Tomato Paste?
Thanks for any input you can give me. Pat
Hi Pat.
For your information, yes Tomato Puree is the same as Tomato Paste. Enjoy. John
Pat: Your assumption is right. Tomato puree and paste are the same thing, just different terminologies for different countries. Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks for the input, John!
Hi Michelle and John,
This is the most luscious soul satisfying version of oxtails I have ever enjoyed. I have four oxtail recipies that I gleen ingredients from and never could come up with an acceptable recipe (these are being tossed). This one is so easy and simple to make. I did use tomato paste and reduced the sugar to 1 1/2 Tbs.
My next venture is to try the Lamb Shanks Braised in Red Wine (I also have three recipies I try to combine). By the way, what is corn flour? Is that the same as corn meal or fine ground grits?
Thanks from a happy foodie. Pat
Pat: Yes, Corn Flour is the same as Corn Meal. There are numerous ingredients that are named differently either side of the pond and if I come across one I am unsure about I look on Wikapedia, it is usually helpful in these instances. – John Burgeen
I’ve never tried Oxtail, reminds me of the Frugal gourmet from early tv programs!