Oriental Oxtail

Warm spices, soy sauce and a hint of orange add fragrance and flavour to slow-cooked oxtail.

Ingredients:

2-2.5 kg oxtail pieces

50ml flour

5ml “Steak and Chop Seasoning”

500ml tomato juice

500ml beef stock, or 2 beef stock cubes and 500ml boiling water

15ml muscovardo sugar

30ml white wine vinegar

80-90ml soy sauce

4 whole star anise

4 dried chillies

3-4 inches of ginger, thinly sliced

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 head of garlic, cloves peeled, trimmed and halved

3-4 sprigs of Thai Basil, roughly chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220C. Season the oxtails by shaking with flour and seasoning in a plastic bag to coat all the pieces. Place in a single layer in a lidded casserole dish, making sure all the pieces are separate from one another. Roast for 30 minutes until well browned.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato juice, stock, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce with 500ml water. Scatter in the star anise, chillies, sliced ginger, garlic cloves and orange juice and zest. Pour the spiced liquid over the browned meat.

Cover with a cartouche of baking paper to stop any exposed meat from drying out. Top with the casserole lid. Turn the oven temperature down to 180C and cook for 2½ hours. Check the meat from time to time, turning the pieces over to ensure even cooking. When the meat is beginning to look tender, add the chopped basil and stir through the sauce. If the sauce is a little thick, add a dash more boiling water until a suitable consistency is achieved. Check the seasoning and add further sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if required. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes to complete the cooking and blend the flavours of the basil and adjusted sauce. The oxtail is ready when the meat is very tender and coming away from the bones.