Mothered Oxtail Stew with Scotch Bonnet & Pimento

by Lerato Umah-Shaylor, featured in Africana: Treasured Recipes and Stories from Across the Continent

Published by HQ

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Introduction

Mothered oxtail stew is pure love in a pot. This recipe is inspired by my friend Nicola’s childhood memories of her mum tending to her stew for hours in Malawi. A mothered dish, it gives back as much love as you show it. This method of cooking is reminiscent of potjiekos (pronounced poy-kee-kos), which is enjoyed across southern Africa, from South Africa to Namibia. Those dishes typically include meat on the bone, vegetables and spices simmered in three-legged, cast-iron cauldrons set atop an open flame. Here the allspice and scotch bonnet create a fragrant and spicy sauce that is satisfying and comforting.

As featured in

Africana: Treasured Recipes and Stories from Across the Continent

Image of Lerato Umah-Shaylor's Mothered Oxtail Stew — Photo by Tara Fisher

Ingredients

Serves: 4

1½ kilograms oxtail cut into small chunks (by your kind butcher)
2 - 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour
60 millilitres rapeseed or vegetable oil
2 red romano peppers or bell peppers (stemmed, deseeded and sliced)
2 brown onions (peeled and sliced)
4 medium carrots (scrubbed and cut into round chunks)
5 centimetres piece of ginger (peeled and grated)
4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
1 teaspoon ground allspice (pimento)
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons tomato puree
250 millilitres good-quality fruity red wine
2 x 400 grams cans whole plum or chopped tomatoes
6 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
500 millilitres beef stock (plus extra)
1 - 2 Scotch bonnets peppers (yellow if possible), stemmed, pierced and left whole
handful of fresh parsley (chopped)

Method

Mothered Oxtail Stew with Scotch Bonnet & Pimento is a guest recipe by Lerato Umah-Shaylor so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Place the oxtail in a large bowl. Pat dry and lightly dust with flour and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Place a large heavy-based flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the base and, once hot, fry the oxtail in batches until brown on all sides. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the peppers and onions. Saute for 7–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to take on a little colour. Stir in half of the carrots and all the ginger and garlic. Add the spices, tomato puree and 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 3 minutes.
Put the oxtail pieces back in the pan and stir to coat. Season with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise or black pepper, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.
Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, then stir in the tomatoes, herbs and the stock. Throw in as many scotch bonnets as your heart desires and increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a strong simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 3–4 hours, until the meat is luxuriously tender and the sauce dark, thick and unctuous. Stir occasionally and add a little splash of stock, if needed. Add the remaining carrots and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Leave to cool slightly. Skim any excess oil floating on the surface. Season to perfection and serve scattered with fresh parsley alongside a steaming bowl of rice or mashed potatoes and braised greens.

Additional Information

Lerato’s Tip
To cook in the oven, preheat to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and, after step 5, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 3 hours, or until perfectly tender. Stir halfway through and leave uncovered to thicken for the final 30 minutes.