Akwa Traditional Yemeni Oxtail Stew Recipes

OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Roll oxtails in flour and brown well in butter or shortening. Brown onion at the same time. Add beef broth and water, tomatoes and bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer 4 hours. At end of 3 hours add carrots, celery, and parsley. Thicken gravy with flour and butter, and serve all together including potatoes.

BASQUE OXTAIL STEW IN BROWN GRAVY

Steps:

• Line a roasting pan with foil. Rinse the oxtails with water and place them in the roaster.
• Sprinkle lightly with cayenne (I usually use paprika), black pepper and salt.
• Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for one hour, turning them over occasionally so that they become nicely browned.
• Remove from oven and drain off all the fat. Set aside.
• Combine the onion, garlic and oil in a blender (or food processor). Process until the onion is finely chopped. Place this mixture in a 2 gallon vessel and cook over medium heat until it becomes translucent.
• Add the flour and wisk for about 30 seconds.
• Add 5 1/2 cups water. Whisk until the flour dissolves.
• Add tomatoes, Kitchen Bouquet and beef base.
• Bring gravy to a slow boil.
• Add the oxtails and carrots and simmer for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until the meat comes off the bones easily. Check for salt. Serve hot.
• Note: The recipe lists tomatoes in the directions but not in the ingredients, so I just added 2 diced tomatoes when I have made this. I also add some celery, but that isn't in the original recipe.

AFRICAN-STYLE OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Place celery, garlic, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, and water into a large Dutch oven; stir until the tomato paste has dissolved. Add peppercorns and bay leaves, place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oxtail and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove oxtail from hot oil and place into Dutch oven. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes; add to oxtail.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, recover, and continue to cook until the oxtail is tender, but not falling off of the bone, about 30 minutes.
• Remove oxtail pieces and place into a serving dish. Add kidney beans to Dutch oven and return to a simmer. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in water, simmer for 1 minute until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over the oxtail.

LASHELLA'S FAVORITE OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Wash and dry the oxtails. Add the meat to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the meat in the flour until lightly coated.
• Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the oxtails on all sides, in batches, until well browned. Transfer the meat to a plate and pour off some of the drippings, if necessary.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, thyme, and garlic to the pot and saute until the onions are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomato paste and toast. Deglaze the pot with the bottle of red wine and stir up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes with their juices and the bay leaves.
• Add the browned beef back into the pot along with any accumulated juices that may have collected on the plate. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is tender and falling off the bone, about 3 1/2 hours.
• Stir in the mushrooms and cook uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and stir in the red wine vinegar to brighten the flavor. Remove the meat from the pot and pull the meat off the bones, then add back to the pot. Discard the bones. Transfer the stew to a serving dish and serve hot over Buttered Noodles.

'AKWA - TRADITIONAL YEMENI OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Rinse the oxtail, then place in a large casserole & cover with water. BRing to a gentle boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low & skim the surface of any foam until there is very little left.
• Crush the peppercorns, caraway seeds & saffron together in a spice mill / coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Stir in the fenugreek, turmeric & salt.
• Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic & spice mix to the oxtail. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to as nlow as possible - you may find a diffuser useful for this. Cover tightly & keep on a gentle simmer for 3 hours.
• Uncover & continue to cook until the meat is incredibly tender, for another 5-6 hours - you will see the meat falling off the bone when it hits this point and it is ready to serve!
• To serve it in the traditional manner, serve with a rice pilaf. You could also eat this with pleny of bread & salad.