Indonesian Sop Buntut

     Welcome! Today we are enjoying food from Indonesia for Eat the World and I could not be more excited to be here this month. I've been minimally blogging and excited about a few life changes that mean I have more time on my hands to explore. And for me, that means cooking! I've made very few Indonesian recipes before but the ones I have made, I've absolutely loved. 

     I want to start introducing you to my previous Indonesian pursuits with Beef Rendang. It's amazing. It's beautifully spiced, creamy and sticky from the coconut milk, and the perfect umami balance. I highly recommend starting there. Next, I tried Gato Gato, a salad with a beautiful mix of fresh and steamed veggies in a peanut sauce and topped with Tahu Goreng Krispi; extremely garlicky, breaded and fried, tofu. Another classic is Bakso, known for its spongy meatballs. 

     Now I want to talk about Sop Buntut, Oxtail soup. This soup has rich and hearty beef, cooked in a broth that is savory and light at the same time. It's cooked with aromatics and onions, which are strained out of the final broth before serving. Then tomatoes are added and cooked slightly in the hot broth; then it's all topped with chopped celery leaves, green onions, and finished with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice. And the result is everything it says it should be, light and delicious all at once. 

Check out all the wonderful Indonesian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Nasi Goreng with Chicken 
• Pandemonium Noshery: Sop Buntut - Indonesian Beef Soup 
• Culinary Cam: Rijsttafel, An Indonesian Feast with a Colonial Twist 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Gado Gado 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Nasi Goreng - Vegetarian
• Kitchen Frau: Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
• Sugarlovespices: Slow Cooked Beef Rendang, Indonesian Beef Stew

Indonesian Oxtail Soup

2-3 lb. oxtails or soup bones

6 cloves garlic, grated

1 onion, chopped

2-inch ginger, grated

1-inch piece cinnamon

6 allspice berries

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. salt

4-6 beef bouillon cubes 

oil

2 carrots, chopped

3-4 small potatoes, chopped

2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Celery leaves

Green onions, sliced

Fresh limes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beef and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid, rinse the beef, and return to the pan with 8 cups of water.  

In a separate skillet heat the oil. Add the onion, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice berries. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, nutmeg, white pepper, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. 

Add the onion mixture to the beef mixture along with the salt and beef cubes. Cover and simmer for 4 hours. 

OR. Simmer the beef for 5 minutes as stated and then add the beef to a pressure cooker. Add the onion mixture and beef cubes and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. 

Strain the beef and liquid to remove the onions and all solids from the broth. Add the potatoes and carrots back to the pan and cook until tender. 

Add the beef back to the pan with the potatoes and carrots. Taste for salt and add as needed. Add the sliced tomatoes to a bowl and immediately top with the hot soup. Garnish with celery leaves, green onions, and fresh lime. 

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Check out previous Eat the World contributions from Asia

• Japan - Ginger Pork Stir Fry
• Vietnam - Banh Trang Nuong
• Laos - Kua Mee
• Bangladesh - Zafrani Pulao
• Cambodia - Khmer Lok Lak
• India - Gulab Jamun