Braised oxtail

1. Preheat oven to 160 ºC. Wash oxtail pieces thoroughly under cold running water and trim off all the surplus fat and gristle, using a sharp knife.
2. Place cornflour, mustard, salt and pepper together in a plastic container, cover with lid and shake to mix. Remove lid, add meat and toss lightly to coat with flour mixture.
3. Heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish on top of the stove and sauté chopped onion and garlic until light golden, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Place oxtail pieces in casserole dish and brown on all sides over high heat (stove top) to seal in juices. Drain off any fat. Add sautéed garlic and onion.
4. Heat wine in a saucepan (this evaporates the alcohol). Pour over oxtail in casserole dish. Tuck origanum sprigs (or 10 ml (2 tsp) dried) and bay leaves in between, then stir in tomatoes and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add orange peel, orange juice, small onions and cloves.
5. Cover casserole dish tightly and braise (cook gently) in the oven for about 3 hours, or until meat is tender.
6. Remove dish from oven, uncover and add potatoes and carrots.
7. Replace cover and return the casserole dish to the oven. Braise for a further 50 to 60 minutes, or until meat is meltingly tender. (Oxtail is done when you can scrape the meat away from the bone, using a fork. If you can’t, it has not been cooked for long enough. Continue cooking until meat is tender, adding a little extra orange juice if necessary.)
Add mushrooms and sherry during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve with rice tossed with carrot, celery, onion and chilli.