Ox Tail

Ox tail is great Whether, for a traditional soup with layers of meaty flavour or casseroles with a delicious gravy, there are plenty of options. Plenty of chunky meat straight from the bone.

Cooking Idea

Ingredients
3 pounds (1.3 kg) ox tail with separated joints
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting the vegetables
A medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 whole cloves garlic, peel still on
1 bay leaf
Pinch thyme
(475 ml) cups stock (chicken or beef)
2 cups (475 ml) red wine
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise
2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise
1 large turnip or rutabagas, cut into 1-inch pieces
Parsley

Method

Brown the oxtails:
Pat the oxtails dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium to medium-high heat in a 6-quart Dutch oven.

Working in batches, and not crowding the pan, sear the oxtails in a hot pan on all sides until golden brown. Use tongs to remove oxtails to a plate, and set them aside.

Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery:
Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.

Add the oxtails, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, stock, and wine, then simmer:
Add the oxtails back to the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves, the stock, and the wine. Add bay leaf, thyme, and half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low.

Cover and cook for 3 hours, until meat is fork tender.

Cooking

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
About 1 hour before the meat is done, preheat the oven to roast the root vegetables.
Roast the root vegetables:
Toss carrots, parsnips, and turnips in olive oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables for 1 hour, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Skim the fat:

When the meat is tender, remove oxtails from the cooking liquid. Either skim the fat off the top with a spoon, use a fat separator to remove the fat, or chill the cooking liquid for several hours so that the fat solidifies, making it easier to remove.

If you are making ahead, at this point you can just put the stew in the refrigerator (let come to room temp first), with the oxtails still in it, and let it chill overnight. The next day, scrape off the fat, reheat, and then remove the meat from the dish.

Strain the solids from the cooking liquid and reduce
Pour the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to press against the vegetable solids caught in the strainer.

Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer until reduced by half.

Add back the oxtails and roasted vegetables:
Then add back in the oxtails, and add the roasted vegetables to the pan. Heat on low heat for half an hour for the flavours to meld.

Add some chopped parsley before serving.