Recipes
South Africa

Oxtail Potjie

Rich, slow-cooked oxtail stew with root vegetables and red wine — the ultimate potjie.

Ingredients

  • 1.5–2kg oxtail pieces
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 3 potatoes, cubed
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup red wine (optional)
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp rosemary or thyme
  • Salt & pepper
  • Oil for browning

Method

  1. 1

    Heat oil in potjie pot. Brown oxtail pieces on all sides.

  2. 2

    Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots. Sauté until softened.

  3. 3

    Add wine (if using), tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, rosemary/thyme, salt, pepper.

  4. 4

    Simmer gently for 3–5 hours. Do not stir too often.

  5. 5

    Add potatoes during the last hour.

  6. 6

    Serve with rice, mash, or fresh bread.

Swaps & variations

  • Add barley for a thicker stew
  • Add butternut or sweet potato
  • Add beans for protein
  • Use beer instead of wine

Storing & freezing

Keeps 4–5 days refrigerated. Freezes well for 3–4 months. Improves in flavour the next day.

Grow it yourself

  • Carrots: Sow directly into loose soil; thin early; water deeply weekly
  • Potatoes: Plant early spring; hill regularly
  • Celery: Prefers cool seasons and moist soil; mulch heavily
  • Tomatoes: Plant in full sun; mulch well; remove lower leaves
  • Rosemary & Thyme: Hardy perennials; minimal water once established
  • Use garlic spray on celery and tomatoes
  • Plant rosemary near celery to repel insects
  • Encourage frogs for slug control
  • Use crop rotation to prevent soil-borne diseases
  • Carrots: Pick when firm and brightly coloured
  • Potatoes: Harvest when foliage dies back
  • Celery: Cut outer stalks as needed
  • Tomatoes: Pick ripe and fragrant
  • Herbs: Snip just before cooking for best flavour

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