Hairy Bikers Oxtail Stew Food

OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
• Wash the oxtail pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper. Trim off as much excess fat as possible. Put the flour in a freezer bag and season well with salt and pepper. Put half the oxtail pieces into the seasoned flour, toss well to coat then set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining oxtail pieces.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Brown the oxtail over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning every now and then, until dark brown all over. You may need to add extra oil if the pan looks dry at any point during the browning step. Put the browned oxtail into a flameproof casserole dish. (You may need to do this in batches.)
• Return the frying pan to a low heat and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Add a little extra oil if necessary. Cook gently for 10 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Tip the vegetables on top of the beef and add the thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the wine, beef stock and tomato purée. Season with salt and pepper, put the casserole on the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook in the centre of the oven for 3 hours. Stir after 1½ hours, turning the oxtail in the sauce.
• After 3 hours, the meat should be falling off the bone and the sauce should be thick. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and transfer the oxtail pieces to a plate, set aside and keep warm.
• Skim any fat that has pooled on the surface of the sauce.
• Divide the oxtail pieces between six warmed plates and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, if using, and serve with mashed potato and steamed vegetables.

OXTAIL SOUP WITH MINI PARSLEY DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/3140F/Gas 3-4.
• Wash the oxtail pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper. Trim off as much excess fat as possible. Put the flour in a strong plastic food bag and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drop half of the oxtail pieces into the seasoned flour and shake to coat. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oxtail pieces.
• Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Brown the oxtail pieces over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until deeply coloured, turning every now and then. You may need to add extra oil or cook the beef in batches depending on the size of your pan. Put the oxtail pieces in a large, flame-proof casserole.
• Return the frying pan to the hob and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery, with a little extra oil if necessary. Cook gently for 10 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Tip the vegetables on top of the beef and add the thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the wine, beef stock and tomato purée. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the casserole with a lid and cook in the centre of the oven for three hours, stirring and turning the oxtail pieces halfway through the cooking time until the meat is falling off the bones.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and transfer the oxtail pieces to a board. Leave to cool slightly. Skim off the fat from the soup that will have pooled on the surface and discard. Pull the meat off the bones and discard any gristly bits. Cut the beef into small chunks and return to the casserole. Stir in the sherry and yeast extract.
• To make the dumplings, mix the flour, suet, parsley and salt in a large bowl. Stir in enough water to mix to a soft, spongy dough.
• Roll the dough into 18 small balls and put to one side. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Add plenty of seasoning and drop the dumplings gently on top of the soup. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until the dumplings are well-risen and fluffy. Ladle the soup into deep bowls to serve.

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.

OXTAIL STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Season the flour with salt and pepper, then toss the oxtail in it until evenly coated. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Working in batches, brown the meat really well on all sides. Remove from the pan, then add the veg and garlic and fry for 3-4 mins until starting to colour. Stir in the tomato purée and herbs. Tip the meat back into the pan, pour over the wine, then crumble in the stock cube. Season, cover the pan and braise in the oven for 3 hrs until the meat is meltingly tender. Can be cooked up to 2 days ahead. If you make it ahead, chill in the fridge and lift any fat off the top before reheating.
• To make the dumplings, tip the flour and basil (reserving a few leaves for a garnish) into a food processor with a generous pinch of salt, then blitz until the basil is finely chopped. Add the butter and blitz until it's the texture of breadcrumbs, then gradually add the egg whites until everything comes together. On a floured surface, roll the dumplings into small, walnut-size balls, then cover with a tea towel until ready to cook.
• To serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Simmer dumplings for 15 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon. While the dumplings are cooking, gently reheat the meat in the sauce. Serve a few chunks of meat in a soup bowl with a few dumplings, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with a few basil leaves.