Oxtail Recipes

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.

OXTAIL

Steps:

• For the spinners: Place the flour in a bowl and slowly pour in enough water to make a firm dough. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands knead the dough. Pinch 1 tablespoon portions of the dough and roll them into tiny logs or tiny cigars. You should have at least 24.
• For the Oxtails: In a blender blend 2 of the onions, 2 cloves of the garlic, 1 sprig of the thyme, 1 of the scallions, 1 tablespoon of oil, a generous sprinkle of salt and a 1/2 cup water.
• Pour half of the marinade over the oxtails and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reserve the remaining marinade for later use.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan with the remaining cloves of garlic and 1/2 a teaspoon of the allspice. Brown the oxtails on both sides for 20 minutes.
• Place the oxtails in a pressure cooker with the remaining onion, thyme, scallion, ginger, a sprinkle of salt and 4 cups of water (make sure that the oxtails are fully covered with water.) Set pressure cooker on high and cook until the oxtails are falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
• Add the carrot, scotch bonnet pepper, bay leaves, sugar, butter, remaining allspice, reserved marinade and the spinners to the pressure cooker. Simmer on the stovetop until reduced, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the butter beans and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve with Jamaican rice and peas and fried ripe plantains!

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.

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.

WINE-BRAISED OXTAIL

Steps:

• Season oxtail generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Place flour in a shallow pie pan; season with salt and pepper. Dredge oxtail in flour mixture until coated all over, shaking off excess.
• Working in batches, sear oxtail in Dutch oven until well browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove oxtail and set aside. Wipe out Dutch oven and return oxtail to pot. Add wine and enough water to cover oxtail halfway, about 3 cups. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, turning oxtail to prevent drying out. After 3 hours, add additional 2 cups water if necessary. Continue cooking until meat is tender and pulls away from bone, 3 hours more.
• Remove oxtail and set aside. Pour cooking liquid into a fat separator. Allow fat to rise to top. Pour defatted cooking liquid back into pot. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Return oxtail to pot and stir in watercress. Cook until oxtail is heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Serve oxtail either on the bone or with meat removed from bone and transferred to a shallow dish. Pour reduced cooking liquid and watercress mixture over meat and serve immediately.