Malaysian Style Oxtail Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Place the oxtails, onion, garlic, cilantro sprigs, cinnamon stick, cumin, coriander, and chile in a heavy soup pot.
• Add the broth and water to cover the ingredients by 1 1/2 inches.
• Bring to just a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for 2 hours, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.
• The oxtail should be very tender.
• Remove from the heat.
• Remove the oxtails and shred the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and any fat.
• Set the meat aside Strain the broth through a very fine strainer.
• Cool for at least 1 hour so that the fat rises to the top.
• Skim off all the fat and discard.
• Return the broth to the soup pot.
• Add the ginger and slivered garlic.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Return the shredded meat to the broth and cook another 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cilantro and cook 1 minute longer.

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, tip the oxtail into a bowl and season with a little salt. Tie the thyme sprigs, bay leaves and parsley stalks together and put in the bowl with the peppercorns and star anise. Pour over the wine, then cover and chill for up to 48 hrs.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Lift the oxtail out of the marinade, reserving the mixture. Heat a drizzle of the oil in a large casserole pan and, in batches if needed, brown the oxtail. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add another drizzle of oil and cook the carrots, onion, celery and garlic until just starting to brown. Stir in the flour and ketchup and cook until you have a thick paste. Pour over the reserved marinade and simmer for 1 min. Nestle the oxtail back in the pan and pour over as much stock as you can, chilling any extra to use later. Bring everything to a gentle boil, scoop off any froth then cover and place in the oven for 3 hrs 30 mins, stirring once or twice until the meat is very tender.
• Remove the soup from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then lift the oxtail from the broth and shred the meat using two forks. Discard the bones and transfer the meat to a bowl. Sieve the liquid into another bowl, then cover and chill overnight.
• Remove and discard any fat that has solidified on top of the soup. Tip the broth into a saucepan and simmer until silky, adding more stock if the broth is too thick. Stir through the shredded meat until warmed through. Season to taste, then ladle into bowls and scatter over some parsley leaves, if you like.