'Akwa - Traditional Yemeni Oxtail Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 1/2 lbs oxtails, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seed
1/2 teaspoon saffron thread
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
salt
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled & chopped
1 3/4 lbs white pearl onions
10 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

Preparation

Rinse the oxtail, then place in a large casserole & cover with water. BRing to a gentle boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low & skim the surface of any foam until there is very little left.
Crush the peppercorns, caraway seeds & saffron together in a spice mill / coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Stir in the fenugreek, turmeric & salt.
Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic & spice mix to the oxtail. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to as nlow as possible - you may find a diffuser useful for this. Cover tightly & keep on a gentle simmer for 3 hours.
Uncover & continue to cook until the meat is incredibly tender, for another 5-6 hours - you will see the meat falling off the bone when it hits this point and it is ready to serve!
To serve it in the traditional manner, serve with a rice pilaf. You could also eat this with pleny of bread & salad.