Oxtail and red wine at the Restaurant

Beef Oxtail and stamp, a trendy heritage dish from South Africa, is served at the Restaurant at the Story of Emily.

This is slow-food cooking at its best. The secret is to cook it for hours to tenderise the meat.

It is hearty, rich, and without frills. One can also cook it outdoors on the open fire in a three-legged cast iron pot, or potjie, as it is called in Afrikaans. See if you can spot these legendary pots in the War Rooms.

Chef Karen Pretorius, at the Restaurant, says she uses tomato, onion, garlic, mustard, and red wine. “We cook it for at least three and a half to four hours until it falls off the bone.”

Some of the tastiest pieces of meat will remain on the bones, and to enjoy this, you need to eat with your hands, as South Africans do. Don’t be shy; it’s the best way! For this, you will receive a finger bowl.

The oxtail and sauce are served on a bed of samp. Samp is dried corn kernels stamped and chopped until broken, but they are not as refined as mealie meal. The coating around the kernel loosens and is removed during the pounding and stamping process. The kernels are then cooked to make a delicious and unique high-fiber dish.

Oxtail is best with a glass of red wine. Enjoy it with a glass of Babel, produced at our sister attraction, Babylonstoren, in South Africa. This dry, full-bodied red blend offers a balanced fusion of black fruit and a savoury edge of cigar.

Winemakers have aged each component in oak barrels to produce a soft mouth-feel and juicy, lingering finish that will leave you wanting more.

It is youthful and vibrant, with enough depth to be savoured with slow-cooked game or oxtail stew, barbecued boerewors, fire-grilled lamb chops with rosemary, or lightly spiced pulled pork.

The blend is made up of 53% shiraz, 19% pinotage, 8% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 5% malbec, 3% petit verdot, 3% mourvèdre, 2% grenache noir, and 1% marselan.

Oxtail, samp and red wine are the perfect combination to drive the autumn chills away.