Page 99 - Through the eyes of an African chef

Oxtail
INSTRUCTIONS
Light a cooking fire outside.
In a 3-legged medium pot, add the pieces of meat, allowing them to sear in their own fat until brown. When browned, remove from the pot and set aside.
Using the fat in the pot, fry onions, garlic, ginger and leeks, and allow to cook for 5 minutes. (If you have too little fat to fry with, you can use some olive oil.)
Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomato purée. Add 1.5l of stock – it must be enough to cover the meat. Cook on low heat for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots, celery, turnips, chilli and remaining stock and let the oxtail cook until soft. The meat must fall off the bone.
TO SERVE
Serve with a starch of your choice. I generally have it with steamed bread (see recipe on page 94).
INGREDIENTS
1.4kg trimmed oxtail
Olive oil – if necessary
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 5ml fresh ground ginger
2 leeks, washed and chopped
1l beef or vegetable stock/water 2 x 410g tins tomato purée
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 turnips, diced
2 chillies, whole
THROUGH THE EYES OF AN AFRICAN CHEF
SERVES 8–10
PREPARATION TIME 15–20 MINS COOKING TIME 3–4 HRS
[ chapter five ] MY DAD’S RECIPES 97