RECIPE: Tomato bredie oxtail potjie
This slow-cooked stew is traditionally made with lamb, but the flavoursome tomato-based gravy works wonderfully with oxtail too
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 tots (50ml) of olive oil
2kg oxtail
½ tot (12.5ml) white bread or cake flour
½ tot (12.5ml) salt
5ml (1 tsp) pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed
1 kg tomatoes, chopped
1 x 50g sachet tomato paste
½ tot (12.5ml) sugar
½ tot (12.5ml) vinegar or lemon juice
250ml (1 cup) beef stock
2 bay leaves
2 potatoes, cut into quarters
To serve:
Samp, pap or rice
Method:
1. Heat the oil in your potjie on the fire and brown the oxtail pieces.
2. Once you like the look of them, sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the meat and toss everything around.
3. Add the onion and garlic and fry until you like the look of the onion.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, stock and bay leaves and mix well. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 4 hours.
5. Check the fluid in your pot every 30 minutes and add a little water if it seems to run dry. The longer and the slower it cooks, the better it will taste.
6. After about 4 hours, add the potatoes, stir through and replace the lid.
7. Simmer until both the meat and potatoes are soft, another hour or two.
8. Serve with rice, pap or samp.
• Recipe and image from Jan Braai's new cookbook, 'Jan Braai - Shisanyama', which is due out in November 2017.