Red Wine Braised Oxtail and Vegetables
I made this dish tonight for dinner pick up. I have to say, the house smells so good, and I am very much tempted to keep it for myself!
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 lb fresh oxtail, cut into 1 inch sections
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 carrots, cut into chunks
4 medium white potatoes, cut into chunks
2 ribs of celery, cut into small chunks
5 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
5 cups of beef broth
1/2 bottle of red wine, heated on stove and reduced to half
1 tbsp of each: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tbsp butter, divided
Method:
Combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in a plate, dredge oxtail on all sides and shake off excess flour mixture.
Heat up 1 tbsp butter in a heavy bottom pan (I used my trusty dutch oven) on medium high heat, brown dredged oxtail on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Brown in batches if needed.
Heat up oven to 325 F.
When browning oxtail, prepare your veggies. Once oxtails are browned, go in with the rest of 1 tbsp butter, throw all vegetables into the pan and lower heat to medium, soften vegetables for about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. I like the caramelized colors on my vegetables, adds flavor. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaf, beef broth and reduced wine. Layer browned oxtail on top of vegetables.
Bring pot to a boil, lid on. Kill the heat. Put whole pot into oven, let it go for 3 to 3.5 hours.
By the time the oxtails are done, most of the liquid is absorbed into the luxurious falling-off-the-bone meat, and the vegetable are semi melted into the sauce, with a bit of a bite left. Flour in the juices will help thicken the gravy. Add a knob of butter if preferred, ladle the gravy over dished up oxtail and vegetables and serve.
