Oxtail in Red Wine and Cherry Apples

Ingredients

• 1.3 kilogram oxtail, nicely trimmed
• 2.Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Pepper, to season the meat
• 3.onions, sliced; 4–6
• 4.clove garlic, crushed; 4–6 cloves
• 5.2 ripe tomatoes, skinned; seasoned with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, sprinkling of black pepper
• 6.750 ml red wine, 1 standard bottle
• 7.fresh herbs, 2 tablespoons mixed marjoram and thyme, plus ½ teaspoon fresh mint
• 8.4 bay leaves
• 9.3 teaspoon Bovril, beef extract
• 10.1 teaspoon beef stock powder
• 11.250 ml water, 1 cup; extra if needed; mixed with 1 tsp beef stock
• 12.teaspoon arrowroot or Bisto, 2–4 teaspoons; for thickening if required
• 13.1 can cherry apples, added when heating to serve

Method

1. 1.Brown seasoned meat in 200°C oven. Watch carefully and remove pieces when ready.
2. 2.Brown onions and garlic. Set aside.
3. 3.Combine meat, onions, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, herbs, water, Bovril and beef stock.
4. 4.Simmer gently until falling from bone (4–6 hours).
5. 5.Check seasoning. Refrigerate overnight.
6. 6.Heat gently. Adjust gravy, adding 1 tin cherry apples.

Notes

• Typed recipe with many handwritten annotations in the original. Annotations preserved in margin_notes.
• Cherry apples are small crab apples; substitute with a tin of small whole apples or a jar of apple compote.
• Lawry's Seasoned Salt is an American seasoning brand available internationally.
• 'Bovril' is a British beef extract paste; substitute with Marmite, Vegemite, or concentrated beef stock.
• Page number '17' visible at bottom right — this page may have come from a recipe book or magazine.
• The extended refrigerating overnight step is essential for the best flavour and for skimming solidified fat.

Margin notes

• 2 Tablespoons Carter Sugar [likely castor sugar — annotation on the red wine line]
• marjoram + thyme + mint ½t [annotation on fresh herbs]
• 2 Cups wine 1 tsp beef stock 1 tsp sugar [scaling/extra quantities note]