Beef Oxtail Stew

Making oxtail is a long and slow process, but the results are definitely worth the wait. Oxtails are a cut of beef from the tail of the cow, which is a very popular meat in African and East Asian cuisine. Here, we have our take on a slow-cooked oxtail stew.

For this recipe, we have used Sparta Beef Oxtails, provided to us by one of our partners, United Food Suppliers (UFS). It is a savoury, rich cut of meat with a high amount of fat and connecting tissues, creating a nice, gelatinous flavour.  It is also high in protein, collagen, and other minerals. 

Serving size: 5-6

Ingredients:

To clean and tenderise the oxtails

• 900g to 1kg Sparta Beef Oxtail
• 2 cups water (at room temperature)
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 limes (sliced in half)

For the marinade

• 7 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (leaves only)
• ½ tsp fresh thyme (leaves only)

For the stew

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced onions
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced leeks
• ½ cup largely chopped carrots
• ½ cup largely chopped potatoes
• 400g whole peeled tomatoes (with the sauce)
• 210g tomato paste
• 1 scotch bonnet (sliced in half)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 cups hot water
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. First, clean and prep the oxtails. For this, defrost the Sparta Beef Oxtails and add to a large bowl. Pour in 2 cups room temperature water, along with 2 cups white vinegar. Let the meat sit in the vinegar water for 15-20 minutes.
2. To prepare the marinade, add in 7 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground paprika, 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves, and ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves into a bowl. Mix everything well together with a spoon and set aside.
3. Drain the vinegar water in which the meat was resting. Then, rub 2 limes (sliced in half) all around the oxtail pieces while squeezing the lime on it. This will tenderise the meat and clean it. After that, slice off the excess fat around the oxtails as much as you can; otherwise, the stew may become too oily.
4. Rinse the oxtails, drain the water, and add to the bowl with the marinade sauce. Coat the oxtails with the sauce and cover the bowl with plastic food wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and marinate it overnight or at least 5-6 hours.
5. Once the oxtails are marinated, in a large pot, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil on medium high heat. Place the marinated oxtails in the pot, making sure that no two pieces touch one another (depending on the size of the oxtail pieces and the pot, you may have to do this in multiple batches).
6. Brown the oxtail pieces for 5-6 minutes, while flipping sides each minute. Once fully browned, it will have a darker brown crust on the outside, but the inside will still be quite raw. Do this until you brown all the pieces.
7. After browning, transfer the oxtails to a plate. Then, to the same pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat on medium low heat. Add ½ cup finely diced onions and sauté for 1 minute or until they are softened.
8. Then, add in 1/3 cup thinly sliced leeks, ½ cup largely chopped carrots, and ½ cup largely chopped potatoes. Cook the vegetables for another 4 minutes or until they are semi-soft. They will be a light caramel-brown in colour due to the browned bits and sauce left behind from browning the oxtail.
9. Now, add in 400g can of whole peeled tomatoes (with the sauce), along with 210g tomato paste, 2 dried bay leaves, and 1 scotch bonnet (cut into halves). Mix until it is well combined and cook for around 2 more minutes.
10. Then, place the browned oxtails and mix with the sauce, letting it cook for another minute.
11. Next, add 3 cups hot water to the pot along with 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried mixed herbs, and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Mix everything together.
12. Cover the pot with a lid and let the stew cook on low heat for 3 hours, while stirring occasionally.  You can taste the stew after 1 hour and adjust any flavours as needed. When fully cooked, the sauce will turn into a thin gravy that is a deep reddish-brown in colour. It will also have a thin layer of fat (oil) formed on top and the meat will be very tender and easily fall of the bone.