Star Anise Flavored Oxtail

Our dinner this evening was cooked by Tom using a recipe that his Mother taught him how to make a few years ago. It's a recipe he knows how to do by memory, and I must say, does really well. This is the first time we tried it with oxtail since traditionally his family uses pigs feet. The anise flavor is wonderful and the meat just falls off the bone.

Tom couldn't give me exact amounts since he made the recipe by "feel". Letting the pressure cooker get very hot he added peanut oil, sugar, and the oxtail, browning it on all sides. Once the oxtail was good and brown he added soy sauce, star-anise, enough water to cover the meat halfway, salt, and a slice of ginger (ginger is optional) then he put the lid back on the pressure cooker and let it work it's magic. Tom says he checked the pot once, tasting the meat for flavor and making sure the water was cooking down, so he's not sure how long the food actually cooked. I do know that our pressure cooker takes a while for pressure to build, so cooking times will probably vary depending on the pressure cooker. This is one of the best ways I've eaten oxtail, we may have to cook it this way from now on, it's absolutely fabulous.

Written by Deb on January 19, 2003 08:57 PM