Hed Chef: Oxtail stew

This is a perfect slow-cooked dish for the weekend, when you want a hearty home-cooked meal without too much fuss.

Oxtail is gelatinous in texture. Browning it gives the meat extra flavour. You can choose to blanch it but it won't yield the same tasty result.

Cutting a potato into smaller pieces will allow it to cook faster and meld into the stew, thickening it.

The tomatoes will lend a slight tang and plump up the texture of the stew.

This is one of those dishes that will taste even better the next day. It keeps well chilled, so you do not have to worry about leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

Makan

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• 1kg oxtail
• 3 potatoes
• 4 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 large carrot, cut into large chunks
• 1 large onion, sectioned
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 5cm squares
• 30g ginger
• 1 head of garlic
• 1½ star anise
• 5 cloves
• ½ tsp white peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp light soya sauce
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 30g butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 litre beef stock
• 1.2 litres water
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 3 tbsp water

METHOD

1. Cut two potatoes into large chunks. Cut the remaining potato into bite-sized pieces.
2. Season the oxtail with coarse black pepper and one teaspoon of salt.
3. In a pan, heat the olive oil and butter. Pan-fry the oxtail over medium heat until browned. (A)
4. Transfer the browned meat into a sturdy pot.
5. In the pan, slightly brown the potatoes and onion. (B)
6. Transfer to the pot and add the beef stock and 1.2 litres water. Bring to a boil.
7. Add carrots, tomato, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, star anise, cloves, bay leaf and peppercorns to the pot. (C)
8. Add the Worcestershire sauce and light soya sauce. Bring to a rolling boil for 15 minutes and continue to boil over medium-low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes.
9. Season with salt.
10. Mix 3 tablespoons of cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water. Add the cornflour mixture into the pot, stirring.
11. Let it come to a boil, then serve.