By
Annelien Pienaar – Food Consultant
(Author of: Meat the Ultimate Guide / Vleis die Omvattende Gids, Boerekos with a Twist/ Boerekos met ‘n Twist) www.annelienpienaar.co.za
The flavours in this recipe are derived from my knowledge of Spanish cookery for the tougher cuts of meat. Intense aromas with a thick and hearty sauce to top a mountain of Kabu mealies, also known as Samp. An interesting fact about the word Kabu that describes the African way of eating mealies, were adapted to the Afrikaans expression: Kaboem mielies.
Both dishes, oxtail and samp, need time and using a slow cooker or pressure cooker with the slow cooker function saves time and energy. This will render a wonderfully soft and moisture rich oxtail and samp. But if you have the time – do a Potjie!
Also have a look at my cookbook Meat: The Ultimate Guide on cooking stews and how to get the most out of tougher cuts of meat.
INGREDIENTS
2 kg Oxtail pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp plain Flour
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 large Red Onion – peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves Garlic – peeled and chopped
4 strips of Orange rind
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
410 g can chopped Tomatoes
1 cup Impala Gourmet Sweet & Sticky Marinade
250 ml good quality Red wine
500 ml Beef stock
1 tbsp Honey
2 Bay leaves
1 sprig of Rosemary
METHOD
Rinse the meat under running water and pat dry. Season the flour and then use to lightly coat the oxtail pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the oxtail pieces, reserving any leftover seasoned flour, turning, for 5 minutes, until browned all over. Not cooking the meat until done but to sear in the juices. Remove the oxtail and set aside.
Reheat the pan juices and gently fry the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Return the oxtail to the saucepan along with the reserved seasoned flour and stir together over the heat for 1 minute before adding the remaining ingredients and mix well.
SAMP
500 g samp
1 litre of stock
Wash samp and keep overnight in cold water to soften up.
- Rinse the samp well until the water runs clear.
- Boil with 1 litre of clear water at moderate heat for 20 minutes.
- Rinse with hot water in a colander and add half of the stock and boil at moderate heat until the stock is absorbed halfway.
- Add the rest of the stock and finish cooking until soft.
To keep the samp from being mushy you can add a lump of butter or olive oil – drizzle olive oil over samp to keep it moist and loose.
Serve with Sweet potato fritters in the Boerekos with a Twist cookbook!