Traditional Highveld Oxtail Potjie with Port Wine and Herb Dumplings

Prepare a steady bed of hot kameeldoring or rooikrans coals under your potjie stand. Place a dry No. 3 cast-iron potjie over direct heat. Add the diced speck or smoked bacon and render until crisp and golden brown. Remove the crispy speck with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the bottom of the potjie.

Lightly dust the oxtail pieces in flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. In small batches, brown the oxtail in the hot bacon fat, turning frequently to create a deep, caramelized crust on all sides. Remove the browned meat and set it aside with the rendered speck.

Add the diced onions and minced garlic to the fat remaining in the pot. Cook until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste and fry for two minutes to cook out the raw acidity. Pour in the Ruby Port wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the rich caramelized fond stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Return the oxtail and speck to the pot, nestling the pieces tightly together. Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme, then pour in warm beef stock until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the meat. Place the lid tightly on the pot, adjust the coals to maintain a very low simmer (roughly 1 to 2 gentle bubbles per second), and braise undisturbed without stirring for 2.5 hours.

Carefully layer sliced carrots, baby potatoes, and button mushrooms over the tender oxtail. Ensure you do not stir the pot so the distinct layers are preserved. Replace the lid and continue simmering over low coals for 35 minutes until the potatoes are almost fork-tender.

Rub the chilled cubed butter into the self-raising flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then fold in chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, and milk to form a soft dough. Drop generous spoonfuls of dough onto the vegetable layer. Seal the potjie tightly with its lid and steam over low coals undisturbed for 20 minutes until the dumplings are double in size and fluffy. Serve steaming hot directly from the cast iron.