Braised Oxtails
There is a little Jamaican restaurant close to my home that makes the BEST braised oxtails. The place is called Red Stripes (www.redstripessc.com) and they come to most of our local festivals. My friends and I hit them up for a few plates of oxtails and curry goat along with some cold beers every time we can. While the Jamaican version of this dish is a bit spicy, my recipe is a bit more traditional. If you would like you can substitute some island spices, peppers, or Jerk seasonings to change direction and create your own version of Red Stripe’s claim to fame.
As always, hit your local butcher up for some fresh oxtails. I think you need four oxtails per person. They don’t hold a lot of meat and the bones are a bit large so get a bit more than you need. Trust me…..they are even better as left overs (see below). Use your own judgement with the amounts below. This is a slow braising dish. Use more of what you like, less of what you don’t, and make sure to give yourself 4 hours before you want to sit down for dinner. You can make this recipe in a crock pot if you like or a pressure cooker if you know your way around those, but I feel that braising should be done slow and low in a covered pot….but that is just me. Good luck and leave a comment if you would like,
Chris
Braised Oxtails
What you need:
- Beef Oxtails (4 per person, if small…get more)
- 1 Vidalia or Sweet Onion
- 1 Green Pepper
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 carrot
- ½ cup red wine
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Tomato Paste
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 4 cups beef stock or enough to just about cover the oxtails in the pot\pan
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt\Pepper\Smoked Paprika\any other seasonings you like
Ready?
- Rub Oxtails with Salt\Pepper\Smoked Paprika and any other spices. Wrap them and put in fridge if you can…for as long as you can. If you are cooking now…don’t worry, you do not have to do this step. Just season them and move on. Remember to season them really well……don’t be shy.
- In your braising pot add some Extra Virgin Olive Oil, get the pan hot, and toss in the Oxtails. You want them to sear and develop a crust on the outsides. Don’t overcrowd the pot\pan. Turn them and get a good sear on all sides.
- Next, some recipes call for you to take the oxtails out and let them sit while you cook the veggies. This really depends on how big your pan is…you don’t have to do this. In the same pan add diced onions, diced celery, diced green pepper, and diced carrot. Add salt and pepper. Stir around and get these cooked down for about 3 minutes. Add 2 cloves of diced garlic at the last minute (garlic tends to burn).
- Next add the red wine and scrape up all the stuff on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the oxtails back to the pan and pour in that good beef stock. Add about 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, the bay leaf, and the rest of the garlic. I like to have enough stock to just about cover the oxtails.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat so it is just barely bubbling, cover and let cook for about 3 to 3 ½ hours. Turn the oxtails every hour so each side gets some time under the braising liquid.
- Now some people like to do this in a pan rather than a larger pot. If you do, follow the same instructions as above, just cover the pan and place in a 325 degree oven instead of slow simmering on the stove top. Either way works great.
- After 3 to 3 ½ hours you can skim the fat off the top of the liquid and serve. I usually serve with rice so you have something to get that awesome gravy with. My Jamaican restaurant serves them with rice and peas….look into that, it’s pretty awesome.
- Remember, these are awesome the next day. The left over braising liquid is the BEST stock for soups. I like to take the leftover stock and oxtails, add some diced potatoes, and any other veggies, and make a soup the next night. You can add pasta to the soup, add beans, add anything, you won’t be disappointed. We even used the left over oxtail meat to make French dip sandwiches…….Do it up! Good Luck!