African-Style Oxtail Stew

Recipe View In a large Dutch oven, combine 10 cups water, celery, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, and garlic. Stir until the tomato paste dissolves. Add peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. (Prep time: 5 minutes)

Recipe View Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oxtail and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned oxtail to the Dutch oven. (Cook time: 10 minutes)

Recipe View Discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened and translucent. Transfer the softened onion to the Dutch oven. (Cook time: 5 minutes)

Recipe View Cover the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 ½ hours. Season the stew with salt and black pepper to taste. (Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes)

Recipe View Continue cooking, covered, until the oxtail is very tender, but not falling off the bone, about 30 minutes more. (Cook time: 30 minutes)

Recipe View Transfer the oxtail to a serving dish. Add the drained kidney beans to the Dutch oven and return to a simmer. (Prep time: 2 minutes)

Recipe View In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in ½ cup of water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the Dutch oven. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and is clear, about 1 minute. (Cook time: 1 minute)

Recipe View Pour the sauce over the oxtail in the serving dish. Serve hot.