Akwa Traditional Yemeni Oxtail Stew Recipes

'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.

JAMAICAN OXTAIL

Steps:

• In a small bowl bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients. Add oxtails to a shallow dish; rub mixture over oxtails. Cover and refrigerate overnight., In a Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat. In batches, brown oxtails on all sides; set oxtails aside. In the same pan, add onions, carrots and pepper; cook and stir until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. , Add beef broth to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Add oxtails, potatoes, thyme and rosemary. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until oxtail meat is tender and starting to fall away from bones, 2-1/2-3 hours. Remove and discard herbs. Remove oxtails; keep warm. Simmer, uncovered, until mixture reaches desired thickness, 5-10 minutes. Return oxtails to pan. If desired, garnish with parsley.

OXTAIL AND BUTTER BEANS

Steps:

• Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a large pot over medium, heat oil. Add the oxtails in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, and brown, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes per side. (You want a deep-brown crust to form on the outside.) Drain some of the oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan, and move oxtails to a plate.
• Add scallions, onions, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, paprika, pimento seeds and thyme, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add Scotch bonnet peppers, bouillon, tomato and browning paste, and stir for 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté for another 30 seconds.
• Add oxtails to the pot, along with enough liquid to completely cover the meat. Bring to a boil and let simmer until tender (depending on the oxtail size and preference), about 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Once oxtails are tender, add butter beans to heat through, about 5 minutes and up to 10 or 15, if you like a more tender bean. Remove the thyme sprigs and Scotch bonnet peppers; remove the pimento seeds as you see them, or if you like. Taste and adjust seasoning, and serve hot with rice and peas, and sweet plantains.

OXTAIL STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Season the flour with salt and pepper, then toss the oxtail in it until evenly coated. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Working in batches, brown the meat really well on all sides. Remove from the pan, then add the veg and garlic and fry for 3-4 mins until starting to colour. Stir in the tomato purée and herbs. Tip the meat back into the pan, pour over the wine, then crumble in the stock cube. Season, cover the pan and braise in the oven for 3 hrs until the meat is meltingly tender. Can be cooked up to 2 days ahead. If you make it ahead, chill in the fridge and lift any fat off the top before reheating.
• To make the dumplings, tip the flour and basil (reserving a few leaves for a garnish) into a food processor with a generous pinch of salt, then blitz until the basil is finely chopped. Add the butter and blitz until it's the texture of breadcrumbs, then gradually add the egg whites until everything comes together. On a floured surface, roll the dumplings into small, walnut-size balls, then cover with a tea towel until ready to cook.
• To serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Simmer dumplings for 15 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon. While the dumplings are cooking, gently reheat the meat in the sauce. Serve a few chunks of meat in a soup bowl with a few dumplings, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with a few basil leaves.