How do you properly cook oxtails?

[Dejah]

For me, I'd leave the meat on the bone, then get all sticky and messy gnawing and chawing. That's half of the flavour!

[saucée]

If you want to stuff it into something, squid might be a good vehicle. It's a bit modish maybe, but it would work.

[bottomlesspit]

Rabo encendido (Cuban oxtail stew) is my favorite oxtail dish. Served over white rice with fried, ripe plantains on the side. That's yummy.

[KendallCollege]

Whenever I do a Turkey, for Thanksgiving, I always line the bird (in the roasting-pan) with a whole/segmented/seasoned/seared oxtail and some chicken stock.

I also like to do a mixed-braise of short-ribs and oxtails. A little chicken-stock. A little tomato-paste. Some marjoram. Juniper berries. Rosemary. All-spice. A ton of Garlic. Nuoc Mam (fish sauce). A few Bay Leaves.

[melonpan]

BRAISED.

in red wine.

with carrots, onions and celery.

but right now its too hot to cook oxtails.

[Peter Green]

We like using them in miyok guk, a Korean soup.

The oxtail is boiled for a few hours with kelp (miyok).

And then there're the "usuals". Garlic, chopped spring onion, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.

The oxtails are nice and greasy, and you pick (or suck) the meat away from the bone.

[Domestic Goddess]

Peter, I didn't know you could do that. Wouldn't the miyok (kelp) get slimy with all the boiling?

[Peter Green]

Peter, I didn't know you could do that. Wouldn't the miyok (kelp) get slimy with all the boiling?

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It does, although it's thick enough that there's a slight crunch in it, too. But that's part of what we like. The fat on the oxtails oozes out with everything, and you could almost skate on top of the soup.

I always have a lot of rice with miyok guk to take up the greasiness, which leads to dinner table controversy as Yoonhi and the kids consider me a heathen for putting my rice into my soup.

[nonblonde007]

Every recipe I have found and picture I have seen suggests a gooey sausy dish. Is oxtail something that cannot be crisped? Is there something to the texture or componants in this cut that doesn't allow for searing or frying for a crispy outer layer?

[Live It Up]

I think the reason that most oxtail recipes are saucy and not crispy is that braising or boiling is really necessary to make them palatable. Also, once you've done that you've created a very flavorful liquid, so you would want to use that in the dish. However, I believe in Molto Italiano Batali has a recipe for oxtails in which you braise them, then remove the meat from the bones and recrisp it. I'll have to check when I get home to see if I'm imagining things.

The last time I made oxtails I made them curried Jamaican style. They were some of the best oxtails I've ever made.

[jackal10]

USe he braising liquid for Oxtail soup, and the meat in any number of ways, such as ravioli.

I guess you could set it in a terrrine, cube it, egg and breadcrumb and fry them if you must, but to my mind crispy is alien to oxtail

[dls]

Oxtail Daube. Courtesy of Paula Wolfert and Recipe Gullet. If I were ever in one of those "Last Meal" situations, this just might be the one.

[percyn]

My favorite is either "Red Cooked Oxtail" (Chinese style braise) or a ravioli made with braised oxtail. A recipe of the "red cooked" version can be found here (substitute the oxtail for the pork shoulder).

[Henry dV]

I love Oxtail, try using it in ravioli or tortellini but reducing the braise media to a few spoonfuls, this then exudes into the pasta from within..............I am now wanting to give it another go, MMmmmmm.

[CtznCane]

Oxtails are one of my absolute favorite dishes. It is not a meat that can be 'crisped.' If a good chuck roast is a vehicle for braising then oxtails have to be the filet mignon of braises. I like to use a good rich beef stock along with red wine (and a touch of tomato paste) for my braise. One last minute touch which adds a lot is adding watercress right at the end before serving.

[david coonce]

Every recipe I have found and picture I have seen suggests a gooey sausy dish.  Is oxtail something that cannot be crisped?  Is there something to the texture or componants in this cut that doesn't allow for searing or frying for a crispy outer layer?

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It's sort of like crisping pulled pork or braised short ribs; the joy of oxtails is in the tender, falling-off-the-bone-ness of them, and, as others have pointed out, this cut of meat is impossible to cook any other way than braising. Certainly you could braise it for a long time and then try to pan-fry or saute, but I don't think the results would be spectacular. It's just not that kind of meat. You have to listen to your ingredients and treat them the way they want to be treated.

[David Ross]

I prepare oxtails like most of the other suggestions-slowly braised. The meat is deliciously beefy and tender when slow-braised, and if you have left-overs, which is rare, shred the meat and stuff it into little pockets of pasta and you have 'Oxtail Ravioli.'

I start by choosing oxtail from the larger end of the tail so to speak. I dust them with flour and sear them in olive oil in a Le Cresuet pot to get them nice and brown on both sides.

Then I remove the oxtails from the pot and add a bit more oil. I add carrots, celery, onions and garlic cloves. Let the vegetables saute for a few minutes, then deglaze with red wine.

Then add whole peppercorns, fresh thyme sprigs, a bit of salt, some whole black peppercorns and I add some crushed juniper berries. If I am out of juniper berries I might add some whole cloves or a tangerine peel. Add some beef stock and cover the pot. Chuck the pot in a low oven at 250. Yes, that sounds low, but I let the oxtails braise for at least 6 hours on the low heat.

Carefully take out the oxtails from the braising liquid, then drain the vegetables out of the liquid. I return the braising liquid to the stovepot and boil it down to reduce it to a gravy.

I serve the braised oxtails with either mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles with poppy seeds. Serve the delicious braising gravy on the side. God I wish Fall was here. This is a classic cold-weather dish.

By the way, I use the same basic recipe for Pot Roast. Delicious.

[nonblonde007]

Here goes! This is my first attempt at Oxtails, among many other things, but I am sure not my last. I took all of the suggestions posted here, sort of combined them and jumped in with both feet! Please keep in mind that this is also my first try at posting pics here, ( finding it not as simple as I had hoped, My hats off to all those that post Many!) and my digi camera is 5 years old. That said and aside, here is how it is going so far.........

Searing the Oxtails in olive oil

Reducing the wine, ginger, garlic, onions and orange peel, added soy sause, brown sugar, and oyster sause, reduced further. Put in the meat, a couple of cups of water and off we go!

Simmering away, for 3 hours

Meat and sause, seperated and cooling to go into the fridge tonight.

Tomorrow, I will remove the fat from the sause, re-heat and strain, perhaps add more wine, havn't decided yet, all the juice of an orange, cover the meat and slow roast in the oven for an hour or so. Hopefully, It will be as good as it sounds. If you have other ways I should finish this, let me know. And, wish me luck!!!!

forgot, also added star anise and cinimon stick. 1st post jitters, I guess

Edited July 21, 2007 by nonblonde007 (log)

[David Ross]

Here goes!  This is my first attempt at Oxtails, among many other things, but I am sure not my last.  I took all of the suggestions posted here, sort of combined them and jumped in with both feet!  Please keep in mind that this is also my first try at posting pics here, ( finding it not as simple as I had hoped, My hats off to all those that post Many!) and my digi camera is 5 years old.  That said and aside, here is how it is going so far.........

Searing the Oxtails in olive oil

Reducing the wine, ginger, garlic, onions and  orange peel, added soy sause, brown sugar, and oyster sause, reduced further.  Put in the meat, a couple of cups of water and off we go!

Simmering away, for 3 hours

Meat and sause, seperated and cooling to go into the fridge tonight.

Tomorrow, I will remove the fat from the sause, re-heat and strain, perhaps add more wine, havn't decided yet, all the juice of an orange, cover the meat and slow roast in the oven for an hour or so.  Hopefully, It will be as good as it sounds.   If you have other ways I should finish this, let me know.  And, wish me luck!!!!

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How delicious looking! You are off to a good start. Just reheat your oxtails, reduce the sauce and serve with some steamed rice. That looks very good.

[nonblonde007]

David, thank you!

And, by the way, I realy enjoyed your foodblog!

I just noticed that in my nervousness, I spelled sauce the whole way through that post incorrectly! *blushing in shame and feeling very much like the new kid on the block*

Edited July 21, 2007 by nonblonde007 (log)

[nonblonde007]

Unespected events today, I will have to finish tomorrow, I hope this will not effect the outcome of the oxtail dish?!

[nonblonde007]

TaaaaDaaaaaaaaaahhh!

Oxtail, the end result!

They were as good as all of you told me they would be, I am so pleased!

[melonpan]

im so glad you liked them. oxtails are the best. my lips are smacking are your photos!

well done!

[markk]

I believe in Molto Italiano Batali has a recipe for oxtails in which you braise them, then remove the meat from the bones and recrisp it. I'll have to check when I get home to see if I'm imagining things.

I have definitely had oxtail meat that's been removed from the bone and shaped into a patty with or without something else and crisped - sometimes successfully, sometimes not. (Not from or by Batali, either.)

[Dejah]

TaaaaDaaaaaaaaaahhh!

Oxtail, the end result!

They were as good as all of you told me they would be, I am so pleased!

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Definitely messy, juicy, chewy, lip-smackin' goodness.

Well done!