Zimbabwean and African Oxtail Stew | National Dish Recipe

Some people get a little weird about cooking with oxtail – which I sort of get, sort of (I’m being a little polite), but they wouldn’t have an issue with oxtail soup from a can, and it tastes way better when you make it fresh.

Everyone knows, anything you cook low and slow, on the bone, is gonna be awesome, this African oxtail stew recipe is no different.

In terms of the country of origin for this oxtail stew recipe, I could have gone British, it’s very traditional. Oxtail is a fascinating ingredient, used all over the world and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular is a massive consumer and I love African cuisine, which is only going to get more popular, plus it has some spice, which = winner. I’ve tried a few and this one is from Zimbabwe.

I’ve said it’s really easy and it is. 30 mins prep and then let is sit in the oven for 3 hours. Before we get going, whack the oven on full and pop a cast iron casserole dish in there – do this first, put the kettle on too for beef stock.

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Oxtail Stew Recipe

Oven is on and the casserole dish should be in there getting nice and hot - we'll roast of the oxtails for 20 minutes before adding the stew ingredients and then you can go to the pub for a couple of hours.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

African, Zimbabwean

Keyword

Africa, Oxtail, Stew

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

3 hours

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 650 grams oxtail cut into chunks - as they come is fine
• 2 whole white onion roughly chopped
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 3 birdseye chillies sliced
• 2 tbls plain flour to dust the oxtail
• 500 ml beef stock boil the kettle up front and get this ready
• 3 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400g tin will do it
• 2 green pepper de-seeded and chopped into handy chunks
• 1 tsp curry powder yup, gives it a slightly different angle - this one is rather important
• 1 tsp thyme fresh is ideal but dried will do - just don't leave it out
• 2 tbls tomato puree

Course Main Dish Cuisine African, Zimbabwean Keyword Africa, Oxtail, Stew Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 3 hours Servings people Ingredients 650 grams oxtail cut into chunks - as they come is fine 2 whole white onion roughly chopped 2 whole bay leaves 3 birdseye chillies sliced 2 tbls plain flour to dust the oxtail 500 ml beef stock boil the kettle up front and get this ready 3 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400g tin will do it 2 green pepper de-seeded and chopped into handy chunks 1 tsp curry powder yup, gives it a slightly different angle - this one is rather important 1 tsp thyme fresh is ideal but dried will do - just don't leave it out 2 tbls tomato puree

Instructions

1. Ok, before we start chopping everything up, let's sort the oxtail out. The casserole dish should be in the oven and either getting very hot or already is. In this order, oil the oxtail and then season generously with Maldon Sea Salt and dust with the flour.

   
2. Pull the hot casserole dish out of the oven and put on the hob, add a couple of tablespoons of oil and then add all the oxtail (or in batches). Put the lid on and place back into the oven for 20 minutes - no more though, lets not burn the oxtail. During this time you can prep the other ingredients - do the beef stock first. You can seal it on the hob too, but I found this way gives the Oxtail a better finish.

   
3. Pull the casserole pot out of the oven and turn the heat down to 140 degrees. Remove the oxtail and put aside and place the casserole dish on hob, medium heat. The Oxtail should be gnarly leaving behind some tasty fat for the next step.

   
4. Add all the onions and fry for 5 minutes and then add the garlic, chillies, green pepper, thyme, curry powder and tomato puree. Stir and fry for another few minutes, gently until soft. Then add all the beef stock and bayleaves.

   
5. Give it a good stir and add the oxtail back in, push below the surface of the sauce (top up with water if you need to) and replace the lid. Place into the oven for 3 hours at 140 degrees. Check it hourly and prevent it drying out by adding more water.

   
6. You'll then have a deep bath for the Oxtail, ready to go in the oven - you can then chill. Won't hurt to check it half way through, to make sure you haven't lost too much liquid.

   
7. After three hours the meat should have been falling off the bones and you should have plenty of sauce - it serves wonderfully with white rice, but that's up to you - why not just grab a bowl and crusty bread?

   
8. Thank you Zimbabwe, Africa