Add the red and brown onions, garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika and stir for about 1 minute. Throw
Braised oxtail
WI TH R ED WI NE AND BU TTER BEANS Oxtail is an increasingly popular cut for the nose-to-tail brigade. It is one of the tastiest and most tender cuts if prepared with love in your heart and wine in your hand. It needs a long cooking time due to all the connective tissue, but is butter soft if you give it the chance to cook slow and let all those flavours melt in. You can make this dish spicy or not – depending on your preference – just leave out the chillies and curry powder or add more if you feel the need for that extra zing! Either way, it’s vrek lekker!
1–2 kg free-range oxtail, cut into pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper 30–45 ml vegetable oil 1 red onion, chopped 2 brown onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 5 ml chopped fresh thyme 15 ml Worcestershire sauce 2.5 ml smoked paprika 2 whole chillies (optional) 15 ml tomato paste 5–6 whole allspice (pimento) 5 ml medium curry powder or more, adjust to preference (optional) 1 litre beef stock 3 glasses full-bodied red wine (two for the pot, one for the cook!) 2 cans (450 g each) butter beans, rinsed and drained 1 handful chopped fresh parsley or sprigs fresh thyme
30
1. Season the oxtail with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and then add the oxtail and sauté, stirring frequently, until the oxtail is browned all over. 3. Add the red and brown onions, garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika and stir for about 1 minute. Throw in the chillies, tomato paste, allspice and curry powder and stir for another minute. 4. Add the stock and two glasses of red wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 2–3 hours until tender, while enjoying the third glass of red wine and occasionally stirring the saucepan. 5. Add the beans 20–30 minutes before you remove the oxtail from the heat. If the sauce is too thick, add more stock. 6. Season with salt to taste and serve with a sprinkling of parsley over fragrant rice or with roasted sweet potatoes in their jackets and hot crunchy vegetables. 7. And a bit more of that lovely red wine ... Serves 6
BEEF AND PORK
