Braised Oxtails

Braised Oxtails with Polenta and Brussel Sprouts

This was a really yummy one! We served the oxtails over a bed of garlic polenta, with a side of roasted brussel sprouts. The gravy was BOSS. Definitely take a look at the notes below, before beginning to cook. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

2 oxtails
3-4 tbsp butter or beef drippings
salt, pepper, paprika

2 cups beef broth (or prepared beef consumme)
4 peppercorns
2 cloves
if desired, carrot, onion, celery, and parsley to flavor

8 small peeled onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
mushrooms if desired
1 garlic clove, chopped
chopped parsley

2 tbsp flour
1 cup red wine

Directions:

Saute oxtail pieces in butter, until they are good and brown. Season with the salt, pepper, and paprika. Add beef stock, peppercorns, cloves, and any desired vegetables.

Bring to a boil. Put in casserole, cover tightly, and bake in 350 oven for 2 and a half hours. then add 8 small peeled onions, 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup diced carrots, mushrooms if desired, 1 garlic clove, and chopped parsley. Return to the oven for another 45 minutes. Moisten flour with the wine, and stir into the casserole.

You can let the gravy thicken on the stove top if you’re in  a hurry, or (if the oxtails aren’t overdone by now) you can let it thicken on the oven in the casserole, for about another 1/2 hour.

Notes:

We didn't have a problem sourcing the oxtails, our co-op had packages of them ready to go. They were full of fat and collagen, making for a texture that might turn some folks off. I would say, that if you want to give this a try but aren't feeling up o eating a tail, then go for shortribs and you will have a similar experience! That said, the tail was only $8 for the pack of natural, grass fed meat. Quite affordable, especially compared to shortribs!

I added more beef stock after the first 90 minutes of braising. It was a good thing I checked, because thee pan was almost dry. Maybe my oven runs hot,  maybe I didn't cover it tight enough? It's definitely something to keep an eye on. You want there to be plenty of liquid, especially to reserve for the gravy.

I ended up using one whole bunch of parsley, and a whole package of mushrooms. I also used more flour for the gravy, but I like a thicker gravy!