There’s nothing better in winter than an Oxtail Potjie Stew. You can make it on the open fire, a gas BBQ, or cheat and do it in a slow cooker as well.
Well, winter is settling in and I so am not spending hours in front of a stove when I can have a good book and a warm bed.
So, my options were pressure cooker or slow cooker. I had taken out oxtails which would be perfect for both but decided on long and slow so settled on the slow cooker. I made Oxtail Potjie in the slow cooker (weird I know) simply because I already had a bag of ready-mixed potjie vegetables which had everything in it so I didn’t have to stand and peel, slice and dice 😊. Call it what you want it was absolutely yummy.
Ingredients
1.5 kg oxtail washed (I left the fat on – you can trim), pat dry
Olive oil
2 cups seasoned flour (salt, pepper whatever you wish)
1 red and one yellow onion
¼ cup oil
Pinch salt, ½ tsp sugar, pinch turmeric, 1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp garlic/ginger spice
1 tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp crushed chili flakes
2 bay leaves
1 packet Oxtail soup
1 packet of potjie mixed vegetable mix
2 tsp aromat
6 sprigs thyme
Method
Roll oxtails in flour, coat, and set aside.
Cut onions in half then slice.
Heat half the oil in a cast-iron pan/pot and onions.
Add salt, sugar, vinegar, and turmeric and fry on medium/low heat till it caramelizes (about 10 minutes or so).
Remove and set aside.
Add the rest of the oil, turn up the heat, and brown oxtail.
Add oxtail to slow cooker, add garlic and ginger all spices.
Sprinkle over soup mix,
Drizzle over some olive oil.
Add caramelized onions and bay leaves.
Empty half the vegetables and 1 tsp aromat and 3 sprigs of thyme between vegetables.
Repeat with the remainder of vegetables and thyme.
Add 1½ cups of boiling water. Close lid and cook on high 6-7 Hours without opening lid for the first 5 hours.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving
I served with rice and a mixed salad.
Prepared, tried, and tested by: Melanie Kramar
