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Sop Buntut (Indonesian Oxtail Soup)

Sop buntut is one of Jakarta's most famous comfort dishes, an oxtail soup served everywhere from street stalls to five-star hotel restaurants. The broth is clear but deeply savoury, warmed with nutmeg, clove and white pepper, with chunks of potato, carrot and tomato bobbing alongside the meat.

The oxtail itself is the star, simmered until it slips off the bone and the marrow enriches every spoonful. A squeeze of lime and a handful of crispy fried shallots at the table lift the whole bowl.

It takes time, but almost all of it is hands-off simmering, and it's exactly the sort of pot you want blipping away on a cold weekend. Leftovers are even better.

Servings
6
Prep Time
20
mins
Cook Time
200
mins
Ingredients
16
Total Time
220
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Pantry bits

  • Large stockpot or pressure cooker
  • Skimmer or large spoon
  • Chopping board and sharp knife
  • Ladle

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg oxtail, cut into segments
  • 2.5 litres water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 shallots (eschalots), finely chopped
  • 3cm piece fresh ginger, bruised
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 carrots, thickly sliced
  • 2 potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 spring onions, sliced, plus fried shallots, to serve
  • Lime wedges and sambal, to serve

Instructions

  1. Put the oxtail in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to get rid of scum, and rinse out the pot.
  2. Heat the oil in the pot and gently fry the garlic, shallots and ginger for 2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Return the oxtail with the 2.5 litres of water, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, white pepper and salt. Bring to a simmer.
  4. Cover and simmer very gently for 2.5 to 3 hours, skimming occasionally, until the meat is falling off the bone. A pressure cooker cuts this to about 50 minutes.
  5. Add the carrots and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until tender.
  6. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more, then taste and adjust the salt.
  7. Ladle into deep bowls, top with spring onion and fried shallots, and serve with lime wedges, sambal and steamed rice.

Other recipes

Nasi Kuning (Indonesian Yellow Rice)
Opor Ayam (Chicken in Coconut Curry)
Martabak Telur (Savoury Stuffed Pancake)

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