Toss the oxtail in the flour. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan and brown the meat in batches. Remove and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Return the meat to the pan and pour in the wine, soy sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, star anise and season. Put the saucepan in the oven at 160 °C and cook for 2–3 hours, checking that the liquid does not evaporate too much. When the meat is soft and falling off the bone, remove it from oven. Serve with rice or mash potatoes. Serves 4
Combine the mince, garlic, ginger, coriander and seasoning. Mix well and shape into walnut-size balls. Heat the peanut oil in a frying pan and fry the balls until cooked and browned. Remove and drain on paper towel. Add the curry paste to the pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and ground peanuts, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5–8 minutes. Add the lime rind and juice and return the meatballs to the pan. Heat through. Serve on egg noodles, garnished with coriander. Serves 4
NOTE: Brown sugar can be used in place of palm sugar.
Cut the meat into 5-cm cubes. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Add the meat, cover and refrigerate to marinate for a few hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and thread onto metal skewers. (If you have a bay tree cut one of the branches and use this as a skewer.) Cook the meat over the coals, turning and basting frequently to cook all the sides until done to your liking. Remove the cubes from the skewers and cut into slices. Serve with Portuguese bread rolls to soak up all the juices. Serves 2–4
Toss the meat in seasoned flour. Heat some oil in a saucepan and brown the meat in batches. Remove and set aside. Add more oil to pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft. Return the meat to the saucepan and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, cinnamon, bay leaf and carrots and simmer, covered, for 1–2 hours until the meat is tender. Add the sweet potatoes and simmer for another 15–20 minutes. Make sure there is enough liquid during the cooking time. Top up with extra beef stock if necessary. While the stew is simmering, prepare the dumpling mixture by mixing together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter. Add the mixed herbs. Combine the egg and water, then add to the flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the still simmering stew. Cover tightly with the lid and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes until the dumplings are firm to the touch. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Sauté the onion, garlic and carrot in the butter until soft. Add the mince and let it brown. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, beef stock and wine. Put in the bay leaf and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Simmer for about 30–40 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season well with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for about 15 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain, stir in the butter and season. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft. Stir in the spices and fry gently for 1–2 minutes. Add the carrots and fry for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a separate saucepan fry the mince, breaking up the lumps with a wooden spoon, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mince is lightly browned. Remove from the heat. Add the onion and carrot mixture, bread, vinegar, chutney, apricot jam and seasoning. Mix very well to amalgamate the two mixtures. Stir in the apricots. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish, smooth the top down, then spike a few bay leaves into the mixture. To make the topping, combine the ingredients, then pour it over the mixture in the baking dish. Bake at 180 °C for 30–40 minutes until the topping is set. Serve with yellow rice. Serves 6–8
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, garlic and ginger. Add the mince and fry, stirring to break up the lumps. Stir in the curry powder and cook for a few minutes. Add the lentils and stock and simmer for 10–15 minutes until the lentils are soft. Season well and stir in chopped coriander. Serve with naan or pita bread. Serves 4
Tie the fillet up with string at 4-cm intervals to help keep its shape while cooking. If it has a long thin tail, tuck that under and secure with string. Combine the oil, mustard, peppercorns, salt, thyme and barbecue sauce and mix well. Spread this mixture over the fillet. Place it in a foil container in a pre-heated, covered braai and roast for 20–40 minutes or until done to your liking. To test the ‘doneness’ of the meat, pierce the centre of the meat with a skewer and see the colour of the juices that run out. If the juice is very red then the meat is rare, if the juice is pink then it is medium-rare and if the juice is clear and has no colour then the meat is well done. Remove the meat, cover with foil and set aside for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with grilled asparagus. Serves 4–6