Oxtail has so much flavour and works beautifully with the gentle tastes of Japanese cookery. The meals is work the long, slow cooking it requires. Do not be tempted to speed it up by allowing the oxtails to boil - you will only succeed in making the meat tough. Buy oxtails from your local butcher, many supermarkets do not stock them.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kilograms oxtail
• ½ cup ginger, cut into matchstick lengths
• ½ cup light soy sauce
• ¼ cup sake
• ¼ cup mirin
• 3 cups beef stock

Method

1. Heat a dash of oil in a heavy-based frying pan and brown the oxtail, turning frequently. Transfer to a large lidded saucepan or a flame-proof casserole.
2. Pan-fry ginger for 2-3 minutes in the oil residue in the frying pan until fragrant. Add to the oxtail with the soy, sake, mirin and stock.
3. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer very, very gently for 1½ hours. Remove the lid and continue simmering for a further 1½ hours or untilt he oxtail is meltingly tender and the sauce slightly reduced.
4. Remove the beef and keep warm. Increase the heat and boil the cooking liquid until it has reduced to about 1½ cups. Serve with oxtail with steamed rice, bok choy and plenty of sauce.