Equipment
Ingredients
Meat
- 1500 g oxtail, cut into thick pieces
Produce
- 2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrot, sliced
- 2 celery, diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 1 fresh ginger, grated
Pantry and Spices
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 30 g tomato paste
- 1500 ml beef broth, low sodium preferred
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 5 g ground coriander
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g smoked paprika
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 797 kcal
- Protein
- 64 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 2280 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 749 mg
- Calcium
- 129 mg
- Iron
- 8.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 43 mg
- Phosphorus
- 108 mg
- Zinc
- 13.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 461 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.08 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 2.7 mg
- Folate
- 31 mcg
- Water
- 356 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Season the oxtail pieces generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Using tongs, sear the oxtail pieces in batches to avoid crowding the pot. Cook until deeply browned on all sides.
Remove the browned oxtail pieces from the pot and set them aside on a plate.
Add the diced yellow onion, sliced carrot, and diced celery to the fat remaining in the pot. Saute using a wooden spoon until the vegetables have softened.
Add the minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and whole cloves to the vegetables. Stir continuously until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, ensuring it coats the vegetables evenly, and let it cook slightly to deepen the flavor.
Pour in a small splash of the beef broth to deglaze the Dutch oven, using the wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add the canned crushed tomatoes, the remaining beef broth, bay leaves, and the resting oxtail along with any accumulated juices back into the pot.
Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer at around 90°C/195°F. Cover the pot and cook until the meat is completely tender and falling off the bone.
Turn off the heat. Use a ladle to carefully skim excess fat from the surface of the soup.
Remove and discard the bay leaves and whole cloves. Ladle the hot soup and oxtail pieces into bowls to serve.
Chef's Notes
- Oxtail requires immense patience. The long, slow cook is absolutely vital to break down the tough connective tissue, which then releases rich, natural gelatin to thicken the broth wonderfully.
- Making this soup a day ahead is highly recommended. Not only do the spices and savory notes meld overnight, but chilling the soup allows the fat to solidify at the top for effortless removal.
- For a thicker, more stew-like consistency, you can remove a few pieces of the cooked carrot, mash them with a fork, and stir them back into the broth before serving.
- Always ensure your beef broth is low-sodium or unsalted. As the soup reduces over three hours, the salt concentration intensifies dramatically.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — The flavors deepen significantly after resting for a day. The chilled fat on the surface can be easily removed before reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in airtight containers, leaving room for expansion.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
Troubleshooting
Oxtail meat is tough and chewy
Cause: The soup was not simmered long enough to break down the connective tissue
Fix: Return the pot to a simmer and cook for another 45-60 minutes until fork-tender
Prevention: Allow the full 3 to 4 hours of gentle simmering time
Cultural Context
Oxtail stews and soups are deeply rooted in many African culinary traditions, particularly within South African and West African heritage, where slow-cooking historically maximized the flavor of tougher cuts of meat. The incorporation of warming spices like cloves, coriander, and cumin echoes the rich spice trade routes that heavily influenced regional African cooking and flavor profiles.
