A crystal-clear, richly beefy broth with fall-off-the-bone oxtail pieces, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, perfumed with nutmeg and cloves — Indonesian comfort in a bowl.
Ingredients
1 kg oxtail, cut into sections
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2L water
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and white pepper
Fried shallots
Celery leaves
Lime wedges
Sambal
Instructions
1Blanch oxtail in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to remove impurities.
2Place oxtail in a large pot with fresh water, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, cloves, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil.
3Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-2.5 hours until oxtail is very tender and the broth is rich.
4Remove whole spices. Add potatoes and carrots, cook for 15 minutes until tender.
5Add tomatoes and soy sauce, simmer 5 more minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.
6Serve in deep bowls, garnished with fried shallots and celery leaves. Provide lime wedges and sambal on the side.
Did You Know?
Sop buntut was originally a Dutch colonial dish adapted by Indonesian cooks who added local spices like nutmeg and cloves, transforming a simple European oxtail soup into something far more aromatic.