What’s the difference between oxtail stew and oxtail soup? Very little, aside from a few small yet key components that make all the difference in flavour.

Both dishes contain oxtail as well as other common ingredients such as carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and beef stock.

But while oxtail stew uses “fresher” herbs like thyme, bay leaves and rosemary, Malaysian oxtail soup (as well as the Indonesian-style sup buntut) uses stronger, complex spices like cinnamon, star anise and cardamom.

And even though the actual amount of herbs and spices is very little in contrast with all the other ingredients, it’s amazing how much of an impact it makes to the overall flavour of the dish.

Not everyone likes the “spiciness” of Malaysian-style oxtail soup, but if you’re a fan, you may be surprised at how easy it is to make, ideally with a pressure cooker. It does require time, though – but luckily, it keeps well and tastes better the following day, anyway!

Ingredients (serves 8)

For the pressure cooker

• 2kg oxtail, pre-cut into 4-5cm chunks
• 1 litre beef stock
• 1 3” cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 30g ginger, lightly smashed
• 12g galangal, lightly smashed
• 5g lemongrass, bottom only, lightly smashed

Aromatics

• 520g large onions
• 25g garlic, peeled
• 130g celery, entire stick, leaves removed and reserved for the soup
• 25g Chinese celery, stalks only, leaves removed and reserved for garnish
• 35g ginger

For the soup

• 200g carrots, peeled and cut into 5cm-long sticks and then sideways into 4
• 385g potatoes, peeled and halved
• 300g tomatoes, quartered
• 75g green chillies
• 25g green cili padi
• 85g snake beans, torn into 4-5cm long strips, optional
• celery leaves, sliced finely (see Aromatics above)
• 5g lemongrass, bottom only, about 1 stick
• 2 pieces kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
• 1 parcel sup bunjut
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 500ml beef stock
• 1 lime, juice only
• 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 100ml cooking oil

For serving

• fried shallots
• Chinese parsley, leaves only
• lime, halved
• French bread, sliced at an angle, about 2cm thick and buttered generously

Method

• Put all pressure cooker ingredients into your pressure cooker and leave to cook on high heat until it boils. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, refer to the tips below.
• Once the stock and oxtail are boiling, turn down the heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour.
• As it simmers, remove the leaves from the celery and Chinese parsley and set aside for the soup and garnish.
• In a food processor, blend all aromatic ingredients until fine. If needed, add a little water to aid the blending process. Set aside.
• Prepare and cut the rest of your ingredients while waiting.

• In a stockpot, heat the cooking oil until it is hot and ready for frying.
• Add the blended aromatics and lemongrass stalk. Sauté until lightly caramelised, about 15 minutes.
• Pour the entire contents of the pressure cooker into the stockpot. Do this carefully as the pressure cooker will be heavy and very hot.
• Add the sup bunjut, potatoes, kaffir lime leaves, black pepper, fish sauce and beef stock.
• Bring to a boil on high heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the carrots, tomato, snake beans and all chillies (if using), plus the lime juice. Boil for another 20 minutes.
• Turn down the heat to simmer and let it cook for a final 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This extra cooking time really enhances the flavours of the soup.
• When ready to serve, dish out one or two pieces of oxtail into a bowl and fill it with soup. Sprinkle fried shallots, Chinese parsley, and add a wedge of lime.
• Serve with buttered French bread on the side.

Tips

• If you don’t have beef stock, use chicken stock instead.
• No pressure cooker, no problem. Add all pressure cooker ingredients to a stockpot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to simmer, remove the cover, and cook for about 2 hours or until the oxtail is fall-off-the-bone tender.
• The optional snake beans are especially useful if you have kids in the house who don’t like vegetables. If you omit the beans, it won’t impact the flavour of the soup.
• If you don’t plan to eat it straightaway, your oxtail soup will taste even better tomorrow. Let it cool completely in the stockpot before transferring to airtight containers and storing in the fridge.
• When you’re ready to reheat, skim any solidified oil on the surface of the soup for extra-strong flavour.
• Portion your soup into single servings for easy heating. You can freeze extra soup for two to three months.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of its people, food and places.