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Zimbabwean Oxtail Stew
Serves 4 Prep 20 min Cook 3 hr Total 3 hr 20 min Type Meal Origin Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Oxtail Stew

Bone-in oxtail braised for three hours with onion, tomato, garlic and a stock cube until the gelatinous meat slides off in shreds and the sauce is dark and glossy. A Sunday-lunch project, eaten with sadza or rice and a sharp tomato-and-onion relish. Not subtle, but right.

Serves 4 Prep 20 minutes Cook 3 hours Units Rate

Overview

Oxtail browns hard in batches so the fond builds. Onion, garlic and tomato cook down in the same pot; stock, bay and a beef cube go in; the oxtail returns and braises covered on the lowest heat for three hours. The meat should slide off the bone with a fork. Skim the fat at the end, it's significant.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ kg oxtail (cut into 3-4 cm pieces - ask the butcher)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 onions (large, chopped)
  • 6 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 1 thumb fresh ginger (grated)
  • 4 tomatoes (large, grated) or 1 (400 g) tin
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 fresh chilli (whole, split)
  • 1 litre hot water
  • 2 carrots (cut into 2 cm chunks, optional)
  • Salt to taste

Method

Stage 1 - Brown

  1. Pat the oxtail very dry. Season with salt.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot. Brown the oxtail hard in batches, 4-5 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.

Stage 2 - Base

  1. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion; soften 10 minutes on medium until deep gold.
  2. Add garlic, ginger, paprika and pepper; cook 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the grated tomato and tomato puree; reduce until thick and oil splits out (8 minutes).

Stage 3 - Braise

  1. Return the oxtail with any resting juices. Crumble in the stock cube. Add bay and chilli.
  2. Pour in the hot water - the oxtail should be just covered. Bring to a simmer.
  3. Cover; transfer to a 150°C (130°C fan) oven for 2 ½ hours. Add carrots (if using) at the 2 hour mark.
  4. The meat should slide off the bone with a fork; if not, give it another 30 minutes.

Stage 4 - Finish

  1. Lift out the bay and chilli. Skim the surface fat - there's a lot.
  2. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered 10 minutes on the stovetop. It should coat a spoon.
  3. Taste; adjust salt.
  4. Serve with sadza, rice or pap. A tomato-onion-coriander relish on the side cuts the richness.

Notes

  • Don't skip the browning: Oxtail is fatty and bony; the depth comes from a hard sear. Pale-brown stew tastes pale.
  • Skim: A litre of beef fat sits on top of an unskimmed oxtail. Either skim with a ladle, refrigerate overnight and lift it off solid, or both.
  • Same-day vs next-day: Better next-day, like all braises - the gelatin in the bones sets the sauce, and reheating loosens it back.

Storage

  • Refrigerate 4 days. Reheat covered with a splash of water on low.
  • Freezes 3 months.

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