Bushveld Stout and Citrus Glazed Oxtail Potjie

Ingredients

• 2 kg Oxtail (cut into segments) (Butchery)
• 100 g Cake Flour (Pantry)
• 10 g Barbeque Spice (Pantry)
• 50 ml Sunflower Oil (Pantry)
• 3 large Onions (chopped) (Produce)
• 6 cloves Garlic (minced) (Produce)
• 15 g Fresh Ginger (grated) (Produce)
• 680 ml Castle Milk Stout (2 cans) (Pantry)
• 500 ml Beef Stock (hot) (Pantry)
• 2 whole Oranges (zested and juiced) (Produce)
• 3 whole Star Anise (Pantry)
• 1 whole Cinnamon Quill (Pantry)
• 45 ml Dark Brown Treacle Sugar (Pantry)
• 4 large Carrots (thickly sliced) (Produce)
• 500 g Baby Potatoes (halved) (Produce)
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary (Produce)
• 5 g Salt and Black Pepper (Pantry)

Cooking Steps

1. Prep the Fire and the Meat 20m

   Light a generous amount of hardwood (like Sekelbos or Kameeldoring) to establish a good bed of hot, long-lasting coals. While the fire is burning down, season the flour with the barbeque spice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the oxtail pieces in the seasoned flour until they are thoroughly and evenly coated, shaking off any excess.

2. Sear the Oxtail 20m

   Place your No. 3 cast-iron potjie directly over a hot bed of coals. Heat the sunflower oil until shimmering. Working in small batches to avoid crowding the pot, sear the oxtail pieces until they develop a deep, golden-brown crust on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside, leaving the rendered fat and oil in the pot.

3. Sauté the Aromatics 10m

   Add the chopped onions to the hot oil and sauté until they begin to soften and turn translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

4. Build the Stout and Citrus Liquid 10m

   Deglaze the pot by pouring in the Castle Milk Stout, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the hot beef stock, fresh orange juice, orange zest, star anise, cinnamon quill, and treacle sugar. Return the browned oxtail pieces to the pot, ensuring they are mostly submerged in the liquid.

5. The Slow Bushveld Simmer 150m

   Put the lid on the potjie. Adjust your coals so that you have a very gentle, steady simmer—you only want to hear a soft bubbling sound (the classic potjie whisper). Simmer undisturbed for 2.5 hours. Check occasionally to ensure the liquid hasn't reduced too quickly; if it looks low, top it up with a little extra stock or water.

6. Layer the Vegetables 60m

   Gently pack the carrots and baby potatoes on top of the meat in distinct layers. Do not stir the pot; keeping the ingredients layered is the secret to a traditional South African potjie. Place the fresh rosemary sprigs on top of the vegetables. Put the lid back on, add a few fresh coals under the pot, and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender and the oxtail is completely melt-in-your-mouth soft.

7. Reduce and Serve 20m

   Carefully remove the lid and gently stir the pot just once to combine the rich, dark gravy with the vegetables and meat. Let the pot simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce slightly and form a glossy, sticky glaze. Remove the pot from the coals and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving hot over a bed of fluffy geelrys (yellow rice) or traditional pap.