Ostrich neck in rich red wine sauce

• 2,5 kg ostrich neck, cut into 4 cm pieces (ask your butcher to do this)
• Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
• Flour for dusting
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 onion medium, sliced lengthways
• 5 pickling onions, peeled (optional)
• 5 carrots, chopped (optional)
• 2 T orange zest
• 2 t thyme leaves, chopped
• For the marinade, mix:
• 1 onion large, chopped
• 5 carrots large, chopped
• 2 celery large stalks, chopped
• 4-5 garlic large cloves, finely sliced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 4 parsley sprigs
• 12 allspice berries
• 12 white peppercorns
• 4 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T orange zest
• 1 full-bodied red wine bottle

Place the ostrich neck in a large bowl and add the marinade. Stir, cover and chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 100°C. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry, then season and dust with flour.

Drain the marinade in a colander over a bowl, but do not discard the liquid or the marinating vegetables.

Heat half the olive oil in a large pan over a medium to low heat and gently fry the meat in batches, adding more oil as you go, if necessary.

Place the meat in an ovenproof dish. Add the remaining oil to the pan and, when hot, sauté the sliced onion and reserved marinade vegetables for 4 minutes. Tip the mixture over the meat and add the reserved marinating liquid.

Add boiling water to just cover the ingredients, top with tin foil or a tight-fitting lid, and place in the oven. Braise for 7 to 8 hours, turning the meat once or twice. Add the optional pickling onions and extra carrots, if desired, after 6 hours.

Cook’s note: You could use beef shank instead of ostrich neck.