Oxtail potjie

• Serves 5

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

3 kg Oxtail pieces
2 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black pepper
2 Cup Cake flour
2 Tbsp Garlic, crushed
3 Cups Large onions, finely chopped 4 Large carrots, finely chopped
4 Ribs Celery, finely chopped
2 Large turnip or fennel bulb, finely chopped
12 Stems Of each fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary
12 Bay leaf
2 Tbsp Orange zest
2⁄3 Cup Orange juice
12 Ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped or 400 g tin tomatoes
3 Cups Beef stock
2 Cup Dry red wine
40 Pickling onions, peeled
4 Cups Orange juice
Cooking oil
Salt and milled black pepper to taste

Method

Mix cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and pepper with flour. Dust oxtail with seasoned flour. Heat a little oil in a large potjie and brown meat well on all sides- in batches is the best way.
Stir in garlic, vegetables, herbs and orange zest. Add the chopped tomatoes (with the liquid from the tin), stock and wine. Season with salt and pepper, cover and reduce heat to simmer very slowly for about 2 1⁄2 hours. Remove grease from top and stir often. Stir occasionally. Add pickling onions, dunking them under the gravy, and continue cooking slowly until they're done. By this time the meat should be fall-apart tender. Skim off the fat and check the seasoning; add extra salt and pepper if necessary. Add orange juice and cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, chopped chives or coriander. Serve the dish with rice or herbed potato mash or Dijon mashed potato.

Notes