Beef Oxtail Food

OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover lima beans with water, cover with a towel and soak overnight.
• In a large pot, add oxtails, onions, scallions, garlic, thyme, red pepper, paprika, bay leaf, hot sauce, and gravy master and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.
• Add enough water to just cover the oxtails and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook 2 hours. Every 30 minutes for 2 hours add 2 cups of water or broth, alternating, as necessary, to keep oxtails covered with liquid.
• At 2 hours, add the beans, tomato paste, and 2 more cups of beef broth and water, if needed. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered 2 hours, skimming fat off top and stirring occasionally. In the last 1/2 hour of cook time, season with 2 tablespoons salt. Serve with rice.
• Rinse rice 3 times to remove starch. Put rice in a medium saucepan. Fill saucepan with enough water to cover the rice by 1/2-inch or measure by placing your thumb tip on the rice and filling the pot with water until the water reaches the middle of your thumbnail. Bring rice to a simmer, cover and cook until tender and liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand another 5 minutes, covered.
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings

SOUTHERN-STYLE OXTAILS

Steps:

• Wash the oxtails with warm water and place in a heavy stainless-steel pot. Add the onions, peppers, beef and chicken bases, garlic powder, salt, browning sauce, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cover the oxtails by three-quarters with water. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, adding more water if necessary, until the oxtails are tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

BEEF SHANK AND OXTAIL RAGù

Steps:

• Heat the oil or fat in a heavy pot. Salt the meats lightly, and brown on all sides. Remove the meat (or push it aside if your pot is big enough), and sauté the onion and carrot for a few minutes. Splash in the red wine and reduce for a minute, then tuck the meat back in among the vegetables, nestling in the herb packet as well. Pour on enough water to cover the meats by 2 inches, and simmer, covered, for 2 1/2hours. Add the additional vegetables, and a little more water if they are not well covered, and simmer until tender-about 20 minutes.
• For my first meal, I have the shank surrounded by the vegetables with a little of the cooking liquid on top. If I have some on hand, a Winter Green Sauce (page 159) is particularly good with this. I reserve for later any meat I can't finish.
• Second Round: Oxtails with Grits or Polenta
• Spoon most of the oxtails into a warm wide, shallow bowl into which you've dished up a generous serving of grits or polenta (see pages 196 and 193). Pour a small ladleful of the flavorful beef broth over, thickened, if you like, with a little cornstarch or instant flour. If you want to jazz up the dish, make a small amount of the gremolata (see page 249) that is used for veal shanks-just a teaspoon sprinkled on top is enough.
• Third Round: Penne with a Meaty Sauce
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and start cooking 2-3 ounces of penne or ziti. Meanwhile, scrape off from the bones whatever meat remains, and chop it up. Strain the rich cooking broth into containers for freezing, reserving the vegetables. Heat a little olive oil in a medium skillet, and lightly sauté a thin-sliced garlic clove for a minute. Add the strained veggies, the chopped-up meat, and about 1/4 cup tomato sauce (or, if you don't have any, use a tablespoon tomato paste and some of the pasta water). Scoop up the pasta when done, and mix it with the sauce in the skillet, adding more pasta water if needed. Turn off the heat, and fold in a small handful of grated Parmesan.

WINE-BRAISED OXTAIL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper and allspice. Add oxtail to bowl and rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat an 8-quart Dutch oven, or a heavy soup pot with a lid, over medium-high heat. Add oil and warm through. Add as many oxtail pieces as you can fit in a single layer without overcrowding the pot. Sear, turning occasionally, until the meat is uniformly golden brown all over, including the sides. Transfer meat to a plate; repeat until you've browned all the oxtail.
• Add shallot to the pan drippings and cook over medium heat until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add carrot and celery root and cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and two-thirds of the garlic (save the rest for garnish) and cook 1 minute.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour wine and stock into pot. Bundle parsley sprigs, rosemary branches and bay leaves with kitchen twine and drop into pot. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook over medium heat until liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
• Return oxtail to pot and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook, turning oxtails every 30 minutes, until meat is fork tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Transfer oxtails to a plate. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices and discard (there will be a lot of it). Toss oxtails with remaining pan gravy. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. In a small bowl, toss together chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Scatter mixture over oxtails and garnish with the celery leaves, if using, before serving.

JAMAICAN OXTAIL

Steps:

• Place oxtail in a shallow dish. Combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, sugar, garlic and herb seasoning, browning sauce, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Rub both sides of oxtail with marinade; pour out excess.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear oxtail in hot oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a small plate.
• Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the same skillet until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Add oxtail, with its juices, and butter. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until oxtail is fork tender, about 3 hours.
• Uncover skillet and increase heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.

SLOW COOKER OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook oxtail for 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer oxtail to a slow cooker.
• Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, tomato sauce, beef broth, red wine, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and paprika.
• Cook on Low for 7 hours. Add mushrooms and peas. Cook for 1 additional hour.
• Ladle into bowls and season with salt and pepper.