Sop Buntut (Indonesian Oxtail Soup) | Spiced Clear Broth

Rinse the oxtail pieces in cold water and put them in a large pot. Pour in 3 liters of cold water. Heat over medium; as the water approaches a boil, gray foam will collect on the surface. Skim it off and continue until the broth is clear. If you add the spices before skimming, they will stick to the foam and be discarded with it.

Add the halved onion, crushed garlic, cinnamon stick, cloves, grated nutmeg, and white pepper. Turn the heat to its lowest setting: the surface should quiver occasionally but never bubble vigorously. Leave the lid slightly ajar.

Cook until the meat separates easily from the bone. After 2 hours, press a joint with a spoon: it is ready when the meat pulls off the bone in one piece; if it still resists, continue checking at 20-minute intervals. If the liquid level drops during cooking, add hot water; cold water will set back the cooking.

Cut the carrots into thick 3 cm pieces and the potatoes into large bite-sized chunks. Add the carrots first, then the potatoes 10 minutes later; carrots take longer to soften. Add the quartered tomatoes and salt during the final 5 minutes. Adding the tomatoes earlier would make their acidity slow the potatoes from softening.

Thinly slice the onion and fry it in oil until golden. Transfer to a paper towel. Put the oxtail pieces and vegetables in bowls, then strain the hot broth over them; do not put the cinnamon stick or cloves in the bowls. Serve with scallions, fried onion, and a lemon wedge.