Javanese Oxtail Soup (Sop Buntut) is a comforting soup with oxtails being cooked to the point of almost falling off the bones in aromatic spices and chunky vegetables. If that doesn’t spell warmth and comfort, I don’t know what is!
Buntut in Indonesian language means Tail, hence the name just like in English…Sop Buntut. This was a popular street food that has made its way to restaurant menu. I love the tenderness of the oxtail after being cooked for such long hours and the spice-rich tasting soup. The chunky vegetables in a soup is also something that I really like for some reasons. Rustic!
I’ve made these soup several times and perfected the recipe 🙂 Perfect for the freezing temperature now
Crispy fried shallots (Bawang goreng) that I sprinkled on top of this sop buntut is one of my most favorite Indonesian condiments
Some people say cilantro tastes like a dish soap. I love this fresh herb immensely!
Javanese Oxtail Soup (Sop Buntut)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs oxtail (cut into round pieces, normally this is already done for you in grocery store) about 900 grams
- 3 Tbsp butter unsalted
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tsp whole white peppercorns
- 1 tsp nutmeg powder
- 5 cloves
- 1 medium cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups beef stock
- 2 stalks celery (cut into half)
- 4 carrots (peeled and cut into big chunks)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (quartered)
- 3 large potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
Chili sauce:
- 3-4 red or green bird's eye chili (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce / kecap manis
Garnish:
- Fried shallot crisp (bawang goreng)
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put it all the oxtail and blanch for about 1 minute. Discard the water and set the oxtail aside. Wash and clean the pot or use another clean large pot
Cooking on the stove:
- Melt about 3 Tbsp of butter in the pot. Add in the garlic, stir-fry for about 10 seconds, add in the cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and nutmeg powder and stir-fry until really fragrant. Add in the oxtails, beef broth and celery, and water, just enough to cover the oxtails. Put in the cinnamon stick and bring to a boil and then lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer for the next 3-4 hours (or until the oxtails are really tender)
- About 15 minutes before the end of boiling the oxtails, add in the carrots, tomatoes and potatoes and let them cook until veggies are soft but not mushy. Remove the celery and discard. Have a taste and season with more salt to your liking. Skim off some of the fat before serving if you prefer. Sprinkle some fried shallot crisps and cilantro leaves on top of the soup and serve with the chili sauce on the side
Cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:
- Press saute on Instant Pot. Melt about 3 Tbsp of butter in the pot. Add in the garlic, stir-fry for about 10 seconds, add in the cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaves and nutmeg powder and stir-fry until really fragrant. Add in the oxtails, beef broth and celery. Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set the timer to 45 minutes. Wait 10 minutes and then release pressure
- Press saute mode again. Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft but not mushy. Have a taste and season with more salt to your liking. Skim off some of the fat before serving if you prefer. Sprinkle some fried shallot crisps and cilantro leaves on top of the soup and serve with the chili sauce on the side
8 comments
Hi! May I know if this recipe works well with pork? 🙂
Thank you
Hmm…I’m not sure if it will taste right with the pork though. It may, honestly, never tried it with other cut of meat before besides oxtails. The spices seem more suitable for red meat though. Lamb will be a better substitution if there’s no restriction.
Hi, you me mentioned in the step 2 to add the beef stock but the ingredient list doesn’t indicate any beef stock. How much beef stock is needed?
Hi Peyton, sorry for the confusion, it should be 6 cups of beef stock. Just add enough water to barely cover the oxtail in the pot. I’ve added instructions for cooking with Instant pot pressure cooker too if you have one. I hope it helps to clarify.
Hi Marvellina,
Your Indonesian recipes are a life saver! I am half Korean and half Indonesian, with my mom being the Indonesian side, and grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia. Now I live in Beijing, China and my craving towards local Indonesian food is insatiable during my two pregnancies! Thank you so much for putting up these gem recipes together. I explore your website everyday for my daily menus. So grateful I found your website!!!
Hi Younglim,
I’m happy to know that you find my blog useful for your daily menu 🙂 It’s so hard when we are so far away from home and the cravings sure do not make it any easier. I definitely plan to add more Indonesian recipes too 🙂 Please let me know if you think of anything you are craving for and you don’t see it here yet. Cheers!
May I ask for the recipe of the beef broth? I tried to use Campbell’s but it made the soup too dark. That is not how I remember the clear soup I used to get while frequenting Indonesian restaurants in Singapore.
Hi Linda,
I’ve updated the recipe. You don’t need the beef broth. Water will do because we will be getting the rich broth from the oxtails anyway, so you can definitely do without the beef broth. Hope that helps.