Thai Oxtail Soup
Incredibly rich and deep, yet light with the sourness and spiciness cutting through the oiliness, this Thai-style Oxtail Soup is fragrant and delicious. Herbal aroma tickles the senses and increases appetite, yet it's light enough to enjoy even during warm weather.
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Wok
- Strainer
- Pressure Cooker
- Pestle and Mortar
Ingredients
Washing Oxtail
- 1 kg oxtail
- handful salt, handful, for rinsing
Blanching
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 20 g ginger, sliced
- 1 L water
Herbs
- 2 lemongrass, smashed lightly with a pestle and mortar
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed, cut into quarters
- 30 g birds eye chilli, sliced half
- 50 g garlic, peeled
- 80 g shallot, peeled
- 4 cilantro root
- 50 g young galangal, or 30g old galangal, sliced thinly
- 20 g spring onion, stem
Seasonings in Pressure Cooker
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1.3 L water
Seasonings in Wok
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce, optional, to taste
- 1 tsp salt, optional, to taste
Crispy Chilli
- 15 ml cooking oil, unscented
- 10 g dried chilli
Vegetables
- 150 g tomato, cut to wedges
- 20 g spring onions, leaves, chopped
- 20 g parsley, chopped
- 12 g cilantro, leaves, chopped
- 3 limes, or 5 tbsp lime juice
Garnishing
- spring onion
- parsley
- lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients.
- Rinse the oxtail with handfuls of salt, rubbing them to remove some of the oiliness and blood to reduce the gamey smell. Rinse thrice under running water until the water is clear. Drain the water.
- Add the washed oxtail to a pan over medium heat. Add all the ingredients for blanching - kaffir lime leaves, ginger and water until the oxtails are fully submerged. Let it blanch for about 10 minutes. Then, switch off the heat and remove the oxtail from the water.
- Transfer the oxtail into a pressure cooker, levelling them evenly. Add the lemongrass, half of the kaffir lime leaves, all the cilantro roots, half of the galangal slices, all the spring onion stems, half of the garlic, half of the shallots, half of the chillies, 1/2 tbsp of salt, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, and 1.3L of water. Stir and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Seal it and select the "Tendon" or "Stew" function, or let it cook for 35 minutes.
- Heat cooking oil in a saucepan for about 30 seconds over medium heat, or until hot. Add dried chillies and cook until puffed up and lightly browned. Switch off the heat and strain the chillies. Set it aside.
- When the pressure cooker is done, carefully release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Switch off the heat. Open the lid and stir the gravy.
- Poke the oxtail with a fork to test for tenderness. The oxtail should be thoroughly cooked by now. If you prefer it to be softer, close the lid and set the pressure cooker to cook for another 15 minutes (or select the "Chicken" function). Once done, release the pressure and check for tenderness again.
- Carefully transfer the oxtail, herbs and gravy into another wok over medium heat. Add the rest of the garlic, shallots, birds eye chillies, and galangal. Add 1/4 of kaffir lime leaves, all the tomatoes, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 1/2 salt, 1.5 tbsp of sugar, and the crispy fried dried chillies. Stir all the herbs until combined. Cover and let it come to a rolling boil, about 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes, taste the gravy and adjust. I added 1 tbsp of fish sauce and 1 tsp of salt, which is optional. Switch off the heat.
- Immediately add spring onion leaves, parsley, cilantro leaves and the rest of the kaffir lime leaves. Squeeze 3 limes (or add about 5 tbsp of lime juice), and stir until combined. Taste and adjust as preferred.
- Serve with some white rice. Optionally, garnish with some spring onions, parsley and lime juice.
Notes
Tips
- While rinsing the oxtail with salt, wear food-grade gloves. The smell of oxtail is quite powerful and the oiliness can stick to the skin, making it difficult to wash off.
- Blanching the oxtail helps release most of the scum, which gives us a clear soup later. If making a stew with a thick gravy, this step can be skipped.
- Be careful when frying dried chillies as they can release fumes that irritate the nose and throat.
- The tomatoes and other seasonings can be added to the pressure cooker immediately after the oxtail has cooked, but it is better to cook them together to make the dish last longer.
- The green vegetables (parsley, spring onions, and cilantro) will cook via residual heat from the oxtail soup.
- Make sure to switch off the heat before adding the lime juice, otherwise, it can make the soup bitter.
- Nutritional information does not include rice.
- Ensure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 37gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 2607mgPotassium: 677mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 324mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Tell us how it was!