Traditional Oxtail Soup

Good Pair Days (Roos Michels) -
  • 1.5kg oxtail, chopped into 4-5 pieces
  • Small handful of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Small bunch of parsley, stalks and leaves separated
  • ½ tsp peppercorns, crushed
  • ½ star anise
  • ½ bottle of red wine
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 chopped carrots
  • 2 chopped celery stalks
  • 2 bashed garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 litres of beef stock
  • Tip the meat into a bowl and season. Add a bouquet garni of thyme sprigs, bay leaves and parsley stalks, add to the bowl with star anise and peppercorns, then pour over the wine and cover, chilling in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When ready to cook, lift the oxtail out of the marinade, reserving the wine mixture. Heat a drizzle of oil in a casserole and brown the meat all over, before setting aside on a plate. Cook the carrots, onion, garlic and celery until golden, then stir in the ketchup and flour, pour over the marinade and simmer for 3 mins. Return the oxtail to the pot and cover with stock, then gently boil. Skim off the froth, and place in the oven for 3.5 hours at 160C.
  • Lift the oxtail from the broth and shred the meat and discard the bones. Add the meat to a bowl, sieve the liquid into a separate bowl, and cover and chill overnight. The next day, discard any fat that has risen to the top, tip the soup into a saucepan and simmer until nice and silky. Stir through the shredded meat, season to taste, and serve scattered with parsley.
4 hrs
6 serving