Thursday, October 8, 2009

Oxtail Stew

The weather has finally cooled down enough for me to cook the things I like to cook. Long, stewy, braisy things. Like Oxtail Stew from Simply Recipes.

<Aside: My "L" key isn't working properly, and it's seriously ticking me off.>

Recipe summary: S&P oxtails, brown. Saute onion, carrot, celery. Add garlic, seasonings, broth, wine. Simmer for hours. During the last hour, roast carrots, parsnips and turnips (I added celery because I love roasted celery with beefy dishes). Remove the fat, smoosh the broth veggies through a strainer into the liquid. Reduce the liquid. Put the oxtails back in, along with the roasted veggies. Heat through. Better the 2nd day.

















If you don't dig on collageny hard-to-eat chunks of meat, I'm sure you could use another cut of beef, as long as it's got a bone in it. But the oxtails add a wonderful richness to the broth that you just can't get with another cut. Unfortunately, they leave you kind of sticky after you're done eating. But it's so worth it.


<Aside #2: I hate my camera. My flash is too flashy:
















and no flash is too dark:
















WTF?>

11 comments:

Desco said...

Didn't Grandma (mom's mom) have an oxtail soup?

Vicki said...

Hey Desco - I believe so, makes sense since our Depression-era grandparents ate cheap "peasant food", even in the 80s. Unfortunately I now have to pay $5/lb for the suckers. I don't remember ever eating Grandma's soup tho...maybe mom will add her 2 cents?

Bob said...

I've been wanting to try oxtail, but my girlfriend won't hear of it. Maybe next time she's not around for dinner...

I have the same problem with my camera. I have a two hour time frame of decent light in my apartment and I have to position things right on a specific windowsill to get it. Pain in the neck.

kat said...

I've had oxtail in Spain & it was amazing but I never thought to make it at home

Vicki said...

Hey Bob - I have no decent lighting inside my house, and can't seem to get dinner ready before it gets dark :(

Hi Kat - They're so easy! Stick in a pot with liquid and forget about 'em for a few hours. Great return on investment :)

Unknown said...

I hated my mother's oxtail soup, not because of the tails but because of the other flavorings. We make Basque oxtail stew--roasted veg, roux, red wine,broth, good herbs.
Mom

Vicki said...

What kind of "other flavorings"?

caninecologne said...

hello there
That stew looks delicious. I love oxtails but don't eat them that often.

My mom does a similar recipe but it uses peanuts as a thickener. It's a Filipino recipe called "Kare Kare" (pronounced Kah-reh Kah reh)

Vicki said...

Hey CC - They're so rich, I can't eat them too often. Kare kare sounds interesting!

Betts said...

I've never eaten ox tails. We use them as flavoring and a natural rack when we cook a roast, but then we don't eat them. I think I'll add this to my "try it" pile.

Vicki said...

Hey Betts - You must eat them. :)