📍 Where this dish comes from: Tanzania · Ngorongoro Crater
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Oxtail rewards patience more than almost any other cut of beef — the long, slow braise this chapter’s other stews use is non-negotiable here, but the payoff is a sauce naturally thickened by the collagen that renders out of the bone as it cooks. This is genuine farmhouse cooking, built around a cut that turns tough and bony into something deeply satisfying with nothing more than time.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 430kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef oxtail cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 3 cups beef broth
- Fresh thyme and parsley, a generous handful
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season oxtail with salt and pepper, brown well on all sides in batches, about 10 minutes total. Set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté onion and carrots 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, cook 5 minutes until they break down, scraping up any browned bits.
- Return oxtail to the pot, pour in broth, and add fresh herbs.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes until the meat is completely falling from the bone and the sauce has thickened naturally.
- Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 430kcal | Protein: 32g | Fat: 31g | Fiber: 2g
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Health Benefits
- Oxtail is rich in collagen, which breaks down during long cooking into gelatin studied for joint and gut lining support.
- Beef provides dense, bioavailable iron and zinc along with complete protein.
- Carrots add fiber and beta-carotene to round out the stew’s nutrient profile.
Pairs Well With
- Ugandan Groundnut & Greens Salad
- Ugandan Cauliflower “Matoke”