Written by Peter Wright, NTP
Oxtail originally referred to the tail of an ox, an ox being
a castrated male steer. Today
oxtail refers simply to a cow’s tail. If
you purchase a whole or half cow you will need to ask specifically for the cow’s
tail as it is generally not provided with the other cuts. Tails weigh from two to four pounds and
contain gelatin-rich beef. I confess I
had never eaten a cow’s tail before cooking this one but I found it completely
delicious!
Oxtail is traditionally cooked in a stew but I wanted to try
something different. An internet search
turned up a wonderful recipe for Glazed Oxtail at Simply Recipes http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/glazed_oxtails/
. I made some very slight modifications to
the recipe as posted there and include my personal cooking experience and assessment
of the results below.
 |
| Glazed Oxtail |
Ingredients:
1 oxtail - A
single tail would make about two servings.
 |
| Oxtail from the Butcher |
sea salt
coconut oil
2 cups
chopped onion
½ cup
chopped celery
½ cup
chopped carrot
1 bottle red
wine
4 cups bone
broth
1 teaspoon
thyme
black pepper
Instructions:
1
Cut the
tail into sections. I found this a
bit of a challenge. As an extension of
the backbone, the tail is a series of joints.
To divide the tail you must cut between the joints. Feel along the tail to find the prominent
ridges of the joints and carefully work a knife in between. When you hit the right spot the knife will
cut through relatively easily.
2
Brown the
oxtail sections. Heat coconut oil in
a large pan. Roll the oxtail sections in
a light coating of sea salt then place in the pan. Brown well on all sides then remove and set
aside.
 |
| Browning the Oxtail |
3
Sauté the
vegetables, adding more coconut oil if needed. Once the vegetables soften and have browned
nicely remove them from the pan and set aside.
4
Prepare
the wine glaze. Never having cooked with wine, I asked a friend on what to use and received this advice, "Buy the cheapest merlot or Pinot Noir
you can find". I followed the advice! Add the full bottle of wine to the now empty pan. Increase the heat and
scrape any cooked meat from the pan as the wine boils. Let the wine boil away until it is reduce to
1 cup.
5
Simmer
the oxtails. Add the bone broth to
the pan along with the oxtail sections.
Add water if the oxtail is not covered.
Add thyme. Bring to a boil then
reduce to a simmer for 3 hours. As an
alternative, which I went with, you can place in a covered pan and bake in the
oven on 350 degrees for three hours. Add
the vegetable back for the last ½ hour.
6
Chill
overnight. Remove from the heat, let
cool, then place in the frig overnight.
This helps separate the fat and improves the flavor.
7
Remove rendered
fat. Remove pan from frig and scrape
off rendered fat. Save for cooking.
 |
| Rendered Fat from Oxtail |
8
Separate meat
from bones. Heat oxtails in pan on
medium heat for about half an hour or until meat pulls easily from bone. Let oxtails cool and then remove meat from bones.
9
Final
preparation. Boil remaining broth
down to about half. Add back meat from oxtail
and increase to a boil. Boil away until
liquid is reduced to a light syrup.
 |
| Final preparation of Glazed Oxtail |
I served the
oxtail with fresh chard and white rice. The
meat is very rich and the wine glaze imparts a wonderfully light hint of
sweetness. It really tasted
fabulous!
We are not medical professionals. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely our own and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult your doctor before making any dietary or exercise changes.
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