Oxtail Potjie

Hungry Hubby's triumph!

Oxtail Potjie is a traditional South African dish and every family has their own recipe but secret to make it absolutely excellent is time. This does take a long time especially if you want the the meat so soft you can eat it with a spoon! What is really good about the Potjie is you start it, once in a while either add something or give it a stir but most of the time it looks after itself. You have time to relax and have a good time and by dinner time you have a great dish that can serve 8-10 people. All you need is a big pot of cooked rice and nothing else!

TIP we usually buy 3 packets and remove all the small bones which doesn't have that much meat on it giving everyone a decent size bone.

Ingredients:

• 2 x packets oxtail (I use Woolworths as theirs are already prepared)
• 2 x oxtail soup packets
• 2 x stock pots (I used Knorr)
• 1 x small can tomato paste
• 1 x can butter beans rinsed
• 3 x onions chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes
• 3x garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 x potatoes chopped into big cubes
• 3 x carrots chopped into big rings
• 3 x sweet potatoes chopped into big cubes
• 3 tsp maize meal/mazina/thickening agent
• Butter or oil

Method:

1. Get the coals ready for a steady heat. In a big black 'poitjie kos'-pot (a cast iron pot) add enough butter/oil to brown the meat. (If not using Woolworths then clean the meat by quickly rinsing it under water and removing the fattiest sections. Pat dry before browning).

2. When the meat is starting to brown add the onions, mixed herbs, bay leaves, garlic and chilli flakes.

3. Keep stirring until everything is browned.

4. In a measuring jug, add the soup packets, stock pots and hot water. Stir until everything is dissolved. Take another measuring jug filled with hot water and keep it next to the pot.

5. Add the sauce first, stirring up all the bits that might have caught on the bottom of the pot.

6. Add enough of the water to almost cover the meat. Allow it to simmer for about 4 hours (you can reduce the cooking time to 2 hours but the meat might be tough by the end of the cooking proces).

7. Stir occasionally and ensure that the pot doesn't cook dry.

8. After about 4 hours of simmering, add the potato, sweet potato, carrots and beans to the pot.

9. Continue to simmer for about and 1 to 1 and a 1/2 hours until the potatoes are cooked through.

10. Mix the mazina/thickening agent with a little water and stir until smooth.

11. Slowly add it to the pot while stirring continuously in small circles. Stir through the whole pot and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with white rice and nothing else!

 

Posted with Blogsy