taiwanese braised oxtail with tomatoes
makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
4 lbs oxtail
2 onions, chopped
1 daikon or 4 potatoes, chopped into squares
6 tomatoes, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 thumb size ginger, peeled and sliced
4 star anise
2 handfuls sugar
Sauce:
8 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp oyster sauce
4 Tbsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp cooking wine
pinch of pepper
water
Garnish
green onion
cilantro
Slurry:
4 Tbsp corn starch
Directions:
Bring water to boil over high heat. Add ox tails; return water to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until ox tails are brown on outside, about 8 minutes; drain. Rinse under cold water until cool.
Heat oil or butter in large skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat. Melt sugar and when dissolved, brown your ox tails in the melted sugar. Set aside.
In your pan, add ginger, garlic, star anise and cook until fragrant.
Add in onions and cook until golden brown. Then add carrots, daikon/potato, chopped tomatoes and saute for a couple more minutes.
Place oxtails back in pot and add cooking wine, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and tomato paste.
Add enough water to cover meat and heat soup until liquid has come to a boil. Then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours, until meat is tender. Check halway through and add more water if needed.
If desired, use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with scallions and/or cilantro.
