Fabulous Oxtail Food

FABULOUS OXTAIL

Steps:

• Trim fat from the ox tails and cut into sections between the joints.
• Peel the carrots and onions, trim the celery and cut into even-sized pieces about. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and brown the oxtail well on all sides.
• Transfer the meat to a large casserole. Add the vegetables to the pan and toss regularly until they are well browned.
• Add the flour and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until flour begins to brown lightly.
• Add the plum jam, vinegar, sugar, beef stock, red wine and bouquet garni and stir well to make a smooth mixture. Bring to the boil and then pour over the oxtail.
• Cover and cook at 150 C for 3 hours until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• (Don't forget to remove the bouquet garni.) If possible, leave the casserole to stand overnight to allow the fat to rise and set. Skim off fat and re-heat. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes with chopped parsley.
• NOTE:-If the sauce needs to be thicker mix an extra tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons butter and stir into the casserole bit by bit 5 minutes before serving.
• Cheers, Doreen Doreen Randal, Wanganui.
• New Zealand.

BRAISED OXTAILS IN RED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Simmer the red wine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Meanwhile, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge the oxtail in the seasoned flour, and shake off excess; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the oxtails from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat to medium-low and melt another 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan. Stir in the shallots, garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, parsley, beef broth, and reduced red wine. Place the browned oxtail on top of the vegetables in a single layer, then bring to a boil.
• Cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil, then bake in preheated oven until the oxtail is very tender and nearly falling off the bone, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Once the oxtail is tender, remove the meat to a serving dish, cover, and keep warm. Strain the remaining braising liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced to 2 cups. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pour over the oxtail to serve.

SEMOLINA GNOCCHI WITH OXTAIL RAGù

Steps:

• For ragù:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle oxtails with salt and pepper, then flour. Heat oil in heavy wide ovenproof pot over high heat. Add oxtails; cook until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add celery, carrots, and onion to pot. Reduce heat to medium-high and sauté until vegetables brown, about 15 minutes. Add wine and tomatoes. Boil until thickened to chunky sauce, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in garlic. Tie parsley, rosemary, and bay leaves with kitchen string and add to pot. Return oxtails to pot in single layer. Add all broth; bring to boil. Cover pot; place in oven.
• Braise oxtails until very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer oxtails to rimmed baking sheet. Using potato masher, crush juices and vegetables in pot to coarse sauce. Pull meat off oxtails and add to sauce. Season ragù with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.
• For gnocchi:
• Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Bring milk, butter, and salt to simmer in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in semolina. Stir until semolina is very thick and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in yolks, 1 at a time, then 1 cup Parmesan. Place pot over low heat and stir 2 minutes. Spread semolina in prepared dish. Cover and chill until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 475°F. Butter 15x10x2- inch glass baking dish. Using 1 3/4-inch round cutter, cut out as many semolina gnocchi as possible; arrange in prepared dish. Top with warm ragù sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.