Recipe of Brised Oxtail

The term "oxtail" now refers to any tail coming from any cattle, male or female, but typically a steer, whereas in the past it literally referred to the tail of an ox. Oxtail is a unique but excellent cut of meat. Oxtail is sold cut into sections, so you'll typically get a few big, meaty pieces and a few really small ones. Oxtail is thick at one end and skinny at the other with a bone running down the middle. The tail is one of the most expensive cuts of meat per pound because its processing requires labor-intensive skillful skinning and butchering, and 50% of its weight is made up of just bone. However, it's also one of the most flavorful cuts whenproperly prepared.

Even though the Caribbean, Spanish, and Hispanic cultures have revered this cut for hundreds of years, it was once thought to be nothing more than scraps from a butchered cow. Now, chefs and gourmands have discovered its appeal, and it has become a mainstay in modern cuisine.

Because the oxtail contains a lot of cartilage and connective tissue, it must be cooked using moist heat over a long period of time. One such technique is braising, which yields flavorful meat and a very rich and delicious sauce by melting away all those sinewy bits and turning them into gelatin. Oxtail can also be prepared in pressure cookers, but patience and time are always preferable. With something to sop up the sauce, such as pasta, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta, oxtail is best served.

• Preparation: 10 mins
• Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Total: 3 hrs 40 mins
• Servings: 4 servings

Braised Oxtail ingredients

3 to 4 pounds of cut-up oxtail. 

1/4 cup of vegetable oil, such as canola. 

2 to 3 diced medium onions. 

2 to 3 crushed garlic cloves. 

1 glass of red wine. 

4 cups of beef broth 

tomato paste, 1/4 cup. 

two to three bay leaves. 

Black peppercorns, whole, 1 teaspoon. 

1 fresh rosemary sprig. 

salt, kosher, to taste. 

To taste, freshly ground black pepper. 

Unsalted butter in a tablespoon. 

1 tsp. all-purpose flour

Steps to Make Brised Oxtail

1. Assemble the components. 

2. Turn the oven on to 300 F. To help the exterior of the oxtail pieces achieve a better browning when searing, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. 

3. Heat the oil to a high temperature in a brazier or Dutch oven made of heavy cast iron. Oxtails are added, seared thoroughly, and then turned to brown on all sides. Take the oxtails out of the pan and place them aside once they have a nice brown crust on them. 

4. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the onions for five minutes, or until they start to turn translucent. 

5. Add the wine, then scrape all the browned bits from the pan's bottom and sides with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula.

6. Add the stock and the oxtails back to the pot. Tomato paste, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns should all be added. Add salt and pepper to the food according to taste.

7. Heat the liquid on a high setting until it boils. After carefully transferring the pot to the preheated oven, cover with a tight-fitting lid. for three hours. 

8. As you make the sauce, take the pot out of the oven, remove the lid, and allow the meat to cool in the braising liquid. About 2 cups of the braising liquid should be drained into a liquid measuring cup through a mesh strainer. Trim any fat that floats to the top.

9. In a different pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour gradually until a paste forms. Stirring frequently, heat for a few minutes until the roux is a light brown color. 

10. A little at a time, stir the roux into the hot, strained cooking liquid. The sauce needs to simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken. To remove any lumps, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer, then season with salt and pepper to taste. 

11. After removing the oxtails from the pot, spread a generous amount of the sauce over them and arrange them on a large serving platter or individual plates. Enjoy serving with your preferred sides.

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