'akwa - Traditional Yemeni Oxtail Stew

Um Safia's Note:

This is a very traditional dish from Yemen and is made with Oxtail - hence it's name 'Akwa (this is the Yemeni word for Oxtail or literally "the thickest part of the tail". It has one of the lengthiest cooking times I've encountered, but really is worth the wait (& you can get on with your chores whilst it's cooking as it needs little attention). I have a feeling that this could also be tweaked a little to accommodate crock pot cooking! 'Akwa is also commonly eaten during the month of Ramadan.

• Total Time: 9 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 9 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 ½ lbs oxtails , cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• ½ teaspoon cardamom seed
• ½ teaspoon saffron thread
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
• salt
• 2 large ripe tomatoes , peeled & chopped
• 1 ¾ lbs white pearl onions
• 10 garlic cloves , lightly crushed

Directions:

1. Rinse the oxtail, then place in a large casserole & cover with water. BRing to a gentle boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low & skim the surface of any foam until there is very little left.
2. Crush the peppercorns, caraway seeds & saffron together in a spice mill / coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Stir in the fenugreek, turmeric & salt.
3. Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic & spice mix to the oxtail. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to as nlow as possible - you may find a diffuser useful for this. Cover tightly & keep on a gentle simmer for 3 hours.
4. Uncover & continue to cook until the meat is incredibly tender, for another 5-6 hours - you will see the meat falling off the bone when it hits this point and it is ready to serve!
5. To serve it in the traditional manner, serve with a rice pilaf. You could also eat this with pleny of bread & salad.