Balinese oxtail soup – Sop Buntut Sapi ala Bali

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg oxtail (oxtail bones), fleshy, fresh or frozen
• 5 small onions, red
• 5 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 3 small chili peppers, green
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 1 liter of water
• 2 m.-large tomato(s), red, fully ripe
• 2 stalks lemongrass, fresh
• 4 tbsp celery, fresh or frozen
• 20 g ginger, fresh or frozen
• 20 g galangal, fresh or frozen
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen
• 2 salami leaves, fresh or frozen
• 2 m.-large lemon(s), juice
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper, from the mill
• 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 4 cm cinnamon stick(s)
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp, heaped sugar, white
• 20 g beef bouillon, granulated
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 tbsp celery leaves, fresh or frozen, for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours 5 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes

An exotic, spicy soup experience. Takes some time. Can be frozen.

Rinse the oxtail pieces thoroughly and boil in plenty of water for 5 minutes. Drain the water, rinse the oxtail pieces, and drain well. Trim both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel them, and roughly chop them. Wash the small green chilies, cut them crosswise into thin slices, leaving the seeds on, and discarding the stem. Trim both ends of the carrot, peel them, halve them lengthwise, and cut into approximately 5 mm thick slices. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, halve them lengthwise, and cut out the green-white core. Halve each half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Wash the fresh lemongrass, remove the tough core at the bottom, discard any brown or wilted leaves, and use only the white to light green parts. Cut these into approximately 8 cm long pieces. Remove the outer green leaves if necessary. Gently crush the bottom half of the pieces with a hammer, leaving the stem intact. Wash the fresh celery, shake it dry, and pick off the unblemished leaves and chop them. Set aside a sufficient amount and freeze the remaining leaves. Weigh the frozen celery and thaw it. Cut the leafless and unblemished stalks crosswise into approximately 3 mm long rolls. Measure the required amount and set aside, and freeze the remainder. Weigh the frozen celery and thaw it. Wash, peel, and thinly slice the roots (ginger and galangal). Measure the required amount and freeze the remainder. Weigh the frozen celery and thaw it. Wash the kaffir and salami leaves and use them whole. For the fresh lemon juice, wash the lemons thoroughly. Since the middle part contains bitter substances that are released when squeezing with a regular citrus juicer, it is better to proceed as follows: Cut off a piece lengthwise, approximately 6 mm to the right and left of the base of the stalk. Deseed the sections and squeeze the juice by hand. Discard the empty sections and the middle parts. Heat a small pan without oil and toast the coriander seeds until the coriander begins to smell. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Add the sunflower oil to a medium-sized pan and heat. Add the onions and garlic and toast until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, chili, and root vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Deglaze with a little of the water and transfer to a 3-liter casserole dish. Add all the remaining ingredients, from the oxtail bones to the beef stock. Add enough water to cover if necessary. Simmer with the lid on for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, fish out half of the carrot slices and set aside. Strain the contents of the casserole dish into a fine sieve, reserving the liquid and returning it to the pot. Remove the oxtail pieces, 2 of the lemongrass pieces, and the leaves and return them to the casserole dish. Discard any bones without meat. Gently press out any liquid remaining in the sieve with a tablespoon. Add the liquid to the oxtail pieces. Season the soup with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg, and add the carrot pieces. Heat the soup briefly, divide it among serving plates, garnish, and serve hot.