Heads up: this post contains affiliate links, including a couple of gear picks for building your own potjie. Buying through them costs you nothing extra, and a small commission goes straight into the braai fund.
Oxtail and red wine, cooked low and slow in the potjie until the meat falls off the bone. Four hours, no stirring, no shortcuts.
Back home, oxtail meant somebody’s uncle was in charge of the fire and everybody else was in charge of staying out of his way. Oxtail and red wine potjie is a whole Sunday, not a meal. You start it after breakfast, you wander past around lunch out of nothing but habit, and by the time the sun starts dipping the meat is falling off the bone and the whole street already knows what’s for dinner.
Making it in Australia takes a few small adjustments, none of them painful. The oxtail is easy enough to find, just ask your butcher nicely and they will slice it for you. The wine is better than most of what we grew up cooking with. The only real trick is clearing four hours where nobody needs the braai for anything else.
This dish rewards patience and not much else. Get the oxtail properly browned, get the lid on tight, and then go do something that is not hovering over the coals.
Table of Contents
The pot
You need a proper potjie for this, not a Dutch oven with delusions. If you are shopping for your first one, here is a solid 8-litre option, and cast iron needs seasoning before its first cook.
For the cast iron
OZtrail cast iron seasoning oil
An all-natural seasoning oil made from coconut oil and essential oils. It protects the cast iron, helps stop food sticking, and keeps odours down between potjies. Easier than keeping a bottle of flaxseed oil for one job.
Oxtail and Red Wine Potjie
Ingredients
Method
- Wipe the oxtail dry with paper towel. Put the seasoned flour in a resealable plastic bag, add the oxtail and shake until every piece is coated.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in the potjie, over coals or on the gas burner, and saute the bacon pieces until cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Brown the oxtail in the bacon fat, in batches, turning until every side has some colour. Lift each piece out and drain on paper towel, keeping it warm.
- Add the finely diced carrots, onions and leeks to the pot and saute until softened.
- Return the oxtail and bacon to the pot. Add the bouquet garni, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, tomato paste, beef stock and red wine.
- Bring everything slowly to the boil. If you started on the gas, this is the moment to move the pot onto the coals.
- Cover tightly and let it cook undisturbed for four hours. Resist the urge to lift the lid.
- About an hour before serving, add the remaining coarsely chopped carrots and the mushrooms. Keep cooking slowly, without stirring.
- For a thicker sauce, stir the maize cornflour and cold water mixture through just before serving.
Notes
Getting it right
- Get a proper sear on the oxtail before it goes into the liquid. That browning is most of your flavour, so do not rush it.
- Once the lid goes on, leave it alone. Every peek lets out heat and adds time to your cook.
- If you are cooking on gas the whole way through, keep the flame as low as it will go. This dish cannot be rushed onto a higher heat.
- Only thicken the sauce with maize cornflour, not the wheaten kind. Check the packet, because Australian supermarkets sell both under the same name.
Serving it
Rice or polenta both work well under this. If you want the real thing, serve it over mieliepap (South African maize porridge). Maize meal is not always easy to find here, so check our ingredient substitutes guide for what to use if your usual shop does not stock it.
If this is your first time cooking under a lid over coals, our potjie pot guide covers choosing a pot and managing the coals so the whole four hours goes smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this oxtail potjie on a gas braai instead of coals?
Yes. Brown everything on the gas burner, then either move the pot onto coals once it reaches the boil, or keep it on the lowest gas flame for the full four hours. What matters is a slow, steady simmer with the lid on the whole time.
Why do the carrots go in twice?
The finely diced carrots go in early and mostly melt into the sauce over the four hours, thickening it and adding sweetness. The coarsely chopped carrots go in during the last hour so they keep their shape and give you something to bite into.
What do I serve oxtail and red wine potjie with?
Rice, polenta or mieliepap all work. If maize meal is hard to track down, our ingredient substitutes guide covers what to use instead.
