Malaysia Street Food Free Recipes - Malaysia Oxtail Soup

Ingredients

1 oxtail (2 to 2-1/2 pounds), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved, peel left on
4 cloves garlic, lightly bruised and peeled
3 fresh cilantro sprigs, roots and stems lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 dried red chilly
4 cups beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons finely slivered peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon finely slivered garlic
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Place the oxtail, onion, garlic, cilantro sprigs, cinnamon stick, cumin, coriander, and chilly in a heavy soup pot. Add the broth and water to cover the ingredients by 1-1/2 inches.

Bring to just a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for 1-1/4 hours, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Season with salt and pepper and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. The oxtail should be very tender. (If you substitute short ribs of beef, the cooking time will be about 30 minutes longer.) Remove from the heat. Remove the oxtail and shred the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and any fat. Cover the meat and set aside.

Strain the broth twice through a very fine strainer. Cool for at least 1 hour so that the fat rises to the top. Skim off all the fat and discard. (The recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Refrigerate the broth overnight and skim the fat from the surface before proceeding with the recipe. Refrigerate the meat as well.)

Return the broth to the soup pot. Add the ginger and slivered garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Return the shredded meat to the broth and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cook 1 minute longer.
Serve immediately.