This is a meal that I feel many people should know how to cook. It takes a little time, a lot of care and the taste is explosive, bit after bite.

Let’s start with the oxtail stew. I used a pressure cooker. It cooks and softens the meat in a fraction of the time it’d take you stove top. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I really urge you to get one, such an amazing tool to have on your side. Anyways, I know a lot of people coat the oxtail in flour before browning but not really a fan of that so I browned the meat by frying it in oil before cooking it in beef stock and garlic. Typical oxtail packs have giant pieces and really small pieces. For the browning process and the first 50 minute pressure cook, I put them together but then for the second pressure cook session, I remove the tiny and thin pieces because they’ve been softened and are ready to eat but the big pieces are still though and don’t fall off the bone.

Pressure cook the thick pieces for another 20 minutes.

Now it’s time to reuine all the pieces, reduce the broth by boiling it altogether and add in some tomato paste for an extra kick. As it’s reducing, taste the broth: it may need salt, more garlic, more paste etc.

To thicken the broth, you can add flour, teaspoon by teaspoon and mixing it in with a whisk. Don’t add to much at a time because you might over do it and land up with a gooey mess.

Now onto the polenta. I love polent vs pap because of its vibrant yellow colour. I find the taste really similar but with polenta, I make it bougee by adding parmesean just before you serve it. The parmesean adds this intense cheese flavour that doesn’t over power the dish. It’s a perfect partner to a tomato based stew.

Here is a little tip: cook your stew, hours before serving. Let it rest before rewarding and serving. Once the meat as time to steep in that incredible reduction broth, you taste that rich hearty flavour throughout the meat all the way to the bone.

Well there you have it. If you noticed, I didn’t give any measurements. Cooking, for me, is all about creating a relationship with your food. Your biggest asset is you: smell adn taste your food at every step. Trust your gut and add in herbs not spices when you want more flavour. Spices have salt in and you might land up with a sodium mess.

For everything else, you have me, helping you through your next meal

Enjoy and happy cooking!