Zimbabwean-style braised oxtail
This richly spiced, slow-cooked oxtail stew with African flavours will give you fall-apart beef every time.
By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1kg/2lb 4oz oxtail on the bone, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 green peppers, diced
- 3 bird’s eye chillis, chopped
- 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g tin tomatoes
- 1 litre/1¾ pints beef stock
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaf
- salt and black pepper
To serve
- boiled rice
Method
Add the flour to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, then toss in the oxtail to coat.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat and fry the oxtail to colour all over. Remove from the pan.
Add the onions, peppers, chilli and garlic cloves for 20 minutes to soften.
Add the curry powder and cook for 1–2 minutes, followed by the tomato purée and then the tomatoes. Bring to the boil and reduce by half, this will take about 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the oxtail back to the pan, then add the beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Cook slowly over a low heat for 3 hours.
Serve with boiled rice.
