Indonesian clear oxtail soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg oxtail, in pieces
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 8 small onions, red
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 2 Pepper, red, long, mild
• 1 small chili pepper(s), green, fresh or frozen
• 1 liter of water
• 16 g beef bouillon, granulated
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, light
• 2 m.-large tomato(s), fully ripe
• 30 g celery, fresh or frozen
• 20 g lemongrass, fresh or frozen
• 30 g ginger, fresh or frozen
• 20 g galangal, fresh or frozen
• 1 spring onion(s), green part only
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen
• 2 lemons, juice
• 2 tbsp peanut oil, refined
• n. B. Salt and pepper, black from the mill
• 1 pinch(s) nutmeg, freshly grated
• n. B. fried onions
• 4 tbsp celery leaves, fresh or frozen
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours 20 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours 5 minutes

A classic Far Eastern oxtail soup served with meaty bones. Recipe from Lombok, Indonesia. Original title: Sup Buntut.

Rinse the oxtail pieces thoroughly and boil in plenty of water for 5 minutes. Drain the water, then rinse the oxtail pieces and drain well. Trim both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel, and roughly chop. Wash the carrot, trim both ends, peel, and slice diagonally into approximately 3 mm thick slices. Remove the stems from the red bell pepper, wash them, halve them lengthwise, remove the seeds and membranes, and cut crosswise into approximately 1 cm wide pieces. Wash the small green chili, cut them crosswise into thin slices, leaving the seeds on, and discarding the stem. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, quarter them lengthwise, remove the green stalks, and halve them crosswise. Wash the fresh celery, shake dry, pick off any unblemished leaves, chop, and set aside 4 tablespoons, then freeze the rest. Cut the flawless, leafless stems crosswise into approximately 3 mm wide rolls. Keep the appropriate amount on hand. Freeze any unused stems as rolls. Weigh the frozen goods and thaw them. Wash the fresh lemongrass, remove the tough stalk at the bottom, discard the brown and wilted leaves, and use only the white or light green parts. Cut these into thin slices. Remove the outer, green leaves if necessary. Weigh the frozen goods and thaw them. Wash the roots (galangal and ginger), peel them, and cut them into thin slices. Weigh the frozen goods and thaw them. Wash the spring onions, remove any wilted leaves, and cut 1 tablespoon of the green part into thin rings. Wash the kaffir lime leaves and use them whole. For the fresh lime juice, wash both limes 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 a piece lengthwise, approximately 6 mm to the right and left of the base of the stem. Remove the seeds and squeeze the juices by hand. Discard the empty sections and the middle parts. Heat a small pan without oil, toast the coriander seeds until the coriander begins to smell. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil to a medium-sized pan and heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic and toast until the onions are translucent. Add the carrot, pepperoni, and chili pieces and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Deglaze with a little of the water and transfer to a 3-liter saucepan. Add the oxtail, coriander seeds, the remaining water, and all the ingredients, from beef stock to lime juice, and simmer with the lid on for 5 hours. Stir occasionally. Strain the contents of the casserole dish through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid and returning it to the pot. Remove the oxtail pieces and return them to the casserole dish. Discard any bones without meat. Gently press out any remaining ingredients in the sieve with a tablespoon. Add the liquid to the soup in the casserole dish. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Heat briefly, divide among serving plates, garnish, and serve hot.