Just like all things in my life I like to keep my recipes simple and uncomplicated. This is my latest Homemade Oxtail Recipe that was prepared over the weekend of 19 and 20 October 2020 for my Mothers 82nd Birthday. This is an improvement on my previous attempt.
History of Oxtail
In years past the meat was used from the tail of an ox but these days the tail of the cow is used. Be it male or female. It used to be meat that was extremely cheap and sometimes even given away until it was discovered to be of the finest tasting meat from the cow and the price was increased.
Today you can expect to pay in the region of between R99 to R110 per kilo.
Preparing the Oxtail
We purchased 5 packets of Oxtail from our local Pick & Pay. It was in the region of 5 and a half kilograms, enough to feed the guests.
Each section was first washed, brushed with salt and put aside. The secret to getting the meat extremely tender is cooking at slow heat for quite a few hours.
I put above 5 mm of water in each of the two pots that were going to be used and placed half of the meat in each pot. Added a few generous squirts of lemon juice and a finely chopped onion to each pot with some spices.
Homemade Oxtail In the Pot and onto the Stove
Now through trial and error on the Oxtail recipe I have discovered that using a low heat works best to get the meat really tender. On our stove which ranges from the setting 1 through 6, I selected “2” for each plate that contained a pot.
For the first 45 minutes nothing seems to happen but eventually you will see life in the pots. We left it for 2 hours to slowly cook. I then carefully turned all the meat around and placed what was on top at the bottom. The meat at this stage was still quite tough and stuck on the bones.
Leaving it for a further 3 hours undisturbed did the trick. The meat was falling off the bones and already tasted lovely – but the best was still to come.
Adding potatoes to the Recipe
We boiled about 8 large potatoes in water with salt until they were soft and fluffy. I drained the potatoes and added a substantial amount of the juices and oil from the meat to the potatoes and let them simmer.
The Curry
The final step was adding the curry. I added three heaped teaspoons of Raja’s Mild and Spicy curry to a mixing glass with just enough brown grape vinegar to form a paste. This was added to one pot and repeated for the other pot of Oxtail and also the potatoes.
We let them simmer in the curry for about 30 minutes. You can add some corn flour if needed to thicken the sauce.
One of the problems I seem to have is never adding enough salt to any dish I prepare, so at this stage I taste and add salt if needed – which always happens.
Homemade Oxtail In the plate
We had also prepared some vegetables to add some colour to the plate but I never got to them. So there we have it – my simple and easy Oxtail Recipe with minimum spices, just the lovely flavor of the meat with the potatoes and rice.
If you have anything to add or how to improve on this lovely dish please leave a comment.
