Rich Oxtail Casserole

This dish is almost mandatory when my Dad sees Nans; he really loves oxtail, especially the one Nans makes! My first taste of it was when Nans was in South Africa in 2013. At that stage Dad wasn’t very open to sharing his special oxtail dish with me, but from what I did ‘taste’ it was heavenly. The meat was melt in your mouth soft and the taste was rich. I knew after my measly mouthful back then, I had to get the recipe from Nans and learn first-hand how she cooks it. 

Knowing I had this time with Nans during my holiday, I insisted on learning as much as I could from her, as a lot of the dishes my Mom cooked for my Dad and I were recipes passed down from Nans. Although with age, Nans forgets a few things, she certainly hasn’t lost her touch in the kitchen. Being by my grans side, following her orders and cooking in the kitchen was probably one of the highlights of my entire holiday. 

When Nans, Brian and Natalie used to live in SA; I was very attached to Nans; you can’t imagine the tears at the airport when saying goodbye. When coming home after that ordeal I sat on my Moms lap and cried my eyes out; although in that moment I was devastated, the thought of this ‘adult-body-size’ child sitting on a ‘child-like-small-frame’ mother does make me chuckle when I think back. As the years have passed, and despite the distance between us, the special bond Nans and I have had since I was a child has never faded.

I know if I need help with something in the kitchen I can always go to Nans and see what suggestions she has. Like all grans she has many tips and tricks up her sleeve. So know, this recipe is definitely worth trying… Oxtail lovers, you’re going to thank me for sharing this!

Ingredients

4 Potatoes

4 Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼

8 – 9 Oxtail bones

Salt & Pepper

2 Medium tomatoes, blanched

2 Medium onions, sliced

Oil

1 Knorr Stock cube, mix in hot water

1 Cup Red wine

2 tsp garlic, crushed

Mixed herbs

1 Cup Plain Flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180®

• In a plastic bag, place flour, salt & pepper and mixed herbs.

• Put each piece of oxtail in the packet, shake to coat and take out and set aside.

• Once all bones are coated in flour, heat oil in a large casserole pot and brown the oxtail.

• When all oxtail pieces are browned, set aside on a plate.

• In the same large pot, heat a bit of oil and then fry the sliced onions. Fry until soft.

• Add garlic, stock & red wine; stir together and heat through.

• Add the oxtail to the large pot again.

• Cover with a lid and put in the oven for an hour.

• After the hour, take the casserole dish out and add the carrots.

• Cover pot with lid and place back in the oven. Be sure to reduce the heat to 150® for 3 hours.

• After the three hours, take the pot out of the oven and place the potatoes in carefully – be sure to get them in the gravy.

• Cover the pot again and return to the oven to cook for an hour; or until potatoes are soft.

The casserole is only complete when the potatoes are soft and juicy.