A potjie is a traditional South African stew, slow cooked in a cast-iron pot over an open fire. This one combines the richness of oxtails and red wine to provide a delicious, hearty one-pot meal.
Time: 4.5 hours
Serves 8 – 10
Ingredients
- 500gfresh oxtails (get your butcher to slice them into pieces in between the bones)
- 10 slices of bacon cut into 2.5cm pieces
- ½ cup flour, seasoned liberally with salt and pepper
- 1 litre beef stock
- 115g tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 bouquet garni
- 4 large leeks, chopped coarsely
- 2 large onions, chopped coarsely
- 6 large carrots, 2chopped coarsely and 4 diced finely
- 20 button mushrooms, quartered
- 250ml red wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
Instructions
- Wipe the oxtails dry with a paper towel.
- Put seasoned flour in a resealable plastic bag, then add the Oxtail and shake to coat with flour.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in the potjie (either over coals or gas) and sauté bacon pieces.
- Remove bacon, add the oxtail to the pot and brown in the bacon fat. When each piece is browned all over, remove and drain on paper towels whiloe keeping warm.
- Add the 4 finely diced carrots to the pot together with the chopped onions and the leeks, and sautée until softened.
- Reteurn the oxtail and bacon to the pot and add the bouquet garni, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, tomato sauce, beef stock and red wine.
- Bring slowly to the boil (if you got this far on gas, now is the time to transfer it to the coals). Cover tightly with a lid and allow to cook undisturbed for 4 hours.
- One hour before serving, add the remaining carrots and mushrooms and continue cooking slowly, without stirring.
- If you want a thicker sauce, stir in some cornstarch mixed with cold water just before serving over rice or polenta (or mieliepap !)
Courtesy of Cooksister