Irie Foods Oxtail Stew

IRIE FOOD'S OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Clean the oxtail pieces thoroughly by rinsing them under cold water and trimming away the excess fat.
• In a bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, adobo seasoning, and seasoned salt to make a paste. Rub the paste into the oxtails. Place in a covered container and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Heat a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Remove the oxtail pieces from the marinade and brown them on all sides. Carefully add enough water to the Dutch oven to just cover the meat, add the thyme, cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the onion, carrot, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom, until the oxtails are tender and the meat begins to separate from the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve over the rice.

EASY OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Mix oxtail, water, broth, onion, garlic, onion salt, salt, and pepper together in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat down to a simmer, and cook until meat falls from the bone, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Stir potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, bell pepper, and green onions into the pot. Cover and let simmer until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

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.