Ingredients

Method

• 1 kg oxtail
• 1 kg ripe tomatoes, blanched to remove the skin
• 800 g chopped tinned tomatoes
• 2 large onions
• 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• brown sugar to taste
• basil (optional), to taste
• tomato paste to thicken if needed
Ingredients aren't specified.

Method

Ingredients

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the oxtail. Remove from the pan and fry the onions until soft.

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and oxtail. Cook covered, on a low heat for 3 hours (or in the oven at 120C).

Add sweet potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve with rice and season with basil (optional).

Cook's note:"I refused to eat oxtail when I was young and I really wish I had eaten more of it before leaving home, my mom’s always seems to have the perfect mix of sweet-and-savoury tomato gravy.” - Alistair Fester

This recipe is part of TASTE's "Mother Knows Best" feature (May 2016), where the TASTE team convinced their mothers to share their secret recipes.