Shin and Oxtail Beef Potjie
1 kg meaty beef shin cut through the bone into 2 cm thick slices
750 g – 1 kg oxtail (avoid the very big pieces)
4 T (60 ml) flour
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman’s Braai & Grill Seasoning
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman’s Garlic & Herb Seasoning
2 T (30 ml) olive or canola oil
1 T (15 ml) butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 T (15 ml) Ina Paarman’s Beef Flavour Stock Powder
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 T (30 ml) fat skimmed from meat
1 T (15 ml) butter
1 kg small pickling onions or shallots, cut in half
2 t (10 ml) brown sugar
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman’s Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman’s Sun-dried Tomato Coat & Cook Sauce
½ cup (125 ml) water
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
grated rind from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Phase 1 (pre-prep at home)
Snip three times through the outside of each piece of shin (see pic). Measure flour and Seasonings into a biggish plastic bag, add the meat and shake to coat. Brown the shin and oxtail in batches in the mixture of oil and butter, remove and keep on one side. Shake any leftover flour out over the meat. Add chopped onion, garlic and Beef Stock Powder to fat remaining in the pot and stir-fry briefly. Add the water and bring to the boil. Add browned meat pieces. Simmer very slowly or cook in a 150°C oven for ± 3 hours until the meat is tender. Allow to cool, decant into a container with all the sauce, cover and refrigerate.
Phase 2 (final finish on the fire)
Prepare the fire for the potjie. Size 1 or 2 is best. Add some beef fat and butter to the pot and brown the small onions seasoned with sugar and Garlic & Herb Seasoning. Add Sun-dried Tomato Sauce, water, cloves and bay leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cooked meat and all the gravy. Simmer gently for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Top with gremolata mixture. Serve with polenta and a salad.
The reason for cutting through the outer connective tissue of the shin pieces is to prevent it from curling while browning.
View this recipe online here
