The Wong’s Oxtail Stew
Yes, it’s true. Asians love to eat just about every part of the animal. But in cultures where meat is spendy and animals are a livelihood, you can’t blame them for not wanting to waste any animal part or by-product. And besides oxtail is such a tasty morsel too. It may be made up of mostly bone and cartilage, but when combined with an assortment of veggies in a soup or stew, it’s a super way to stretch a small amount of very tasty and tender (albeit after hours of cooking) meat. The bones and marrow also produce a very rich and flavorful stock, thanks to the collagen released during cooking which renders the liquid deliciously thick. Oxtail turns tender only after a long simmer on the stove so if you don’t really want to hang out in your kitchen for 4 hours, a crockpot or pressure cooker is your best friend.
Rachel Wong, who got this recipe from her mom, told me to add in “as much ginger as I can handle” so I threw in 2-inches worth. Add more (or less) if you’d like!
Time: 15 minutes (prep) plus 4 hours (cooking)
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
2-1/2 to 3 pounds oxtail, trimmed of fat and joints separated
2-inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons yellow bean sauce or paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
In a 4-quart pot or Dutch oven, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Throw in oxtail, and bring to a boil again.
Drain water to get rid of fat and return oxtails to pot. Fill pot with just enough water to cover oxtail. Add ginger, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, bean paste, sugar, wine and pepper, and stir to mix. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-1/2 to 4 hours until meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Transfer to a serving plate and scatter green onions and cilantro all over. Serve with steamed rice or noodles.
Note: Yellow bean sauce, also known as brown bean sauce or broad bean sauce, is basically fermented soy beans (usually a by-product of the soy sauce-making process) mixed with salt and sometimes wheat flour. The mixture can be further mashed up to form a paste. Look for them in plastic bottles or glass jars at the Asian market.
Farm to Table Asian Secrets 
Halo Pat,
Sebenarnya, keturunan Filipina, tapi sudah lama belajar/berbahasa Indonesia. Pernah tinggal di sana, terutama di Bali. Jadi, logatnya seperti orang Bali tuh.
For those of you who don’t speak Indonesian:
“Actually, I’m of Filipino descent, but I’ve studied/spoken Indonesian for a long time. I’ve stayed over there, especially in Bali. So, my accent is like the way a Balinese speaks (Indonesian).”
Danielle, glad you found me. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hey Ed, are you Indonesian? Miso is a creative substitution. Next time you should try natto :).
I tried the recipe last night – eeennnwaaaak baaanget (REALLY GOOD)!
The one substitution I had to make was putting miso in place of the broad bean sauce – I then added about a teaspoon of tenmenjan to round out the sharp saltiness most brands of miso have.
I braised some tasty oxtail last night, and only came across your blog this morning. I wish I’d found it earlier! Ah well. I’ll try this recipe next time I make oxtail. It looks fantastic.
Marvin, someone actually gave me a kare kare recipe, will have to try it out.Yeah, they are really fatty, can’t eat too much but they are sooo good! I buy my oxtails from the Asian market.
Ed, let me know what you think when you do!
The oxtails look so good here! I’ll have to try this soon.
I’ve only had oxtails once in a Kare-Kare dish at a Filipino restaurant long ago. The oxtails were really fatty and didn’t have much meat and I’ve been turned off to oxtails since. But this recipe may change my mind. Where do you get your oxtails?