🍖 Braised Oxtail Recipe
👩🍳 Serves: 4–6
🕑 Total time: 3.5–4 hours (active: ~30 min)
🧂 Ingredients:
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3–4 lbs oxtail, trimmed
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Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
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2–3 tbsp oil (vegetable or olive oil)
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1 large onion, chopped
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2 carrots, peeled and chopped
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2 celery stalks, chopped
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tbsp tomato paste
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1 cup red wine (dry, like Cabernet or Merlot)
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3 cups beef stock
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2 bay leaves
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2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
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1 sprig rosemary (optional)
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1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
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1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional, for umami)
🍲 Instructions:
1. Brown the Oxtail
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Pat the oxtail dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
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Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat.
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Sear oxtail on all sides until deeply browned (about 8–10 min total). Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté Aromatics
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In the same pot, add more oil if needed. Sauté onion, carrot, and celery until softened (5–7 min).
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Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
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Stir in tomato paste and cook 2–3 min to deepen the flavor.
3. Deglaze & Simmer
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Pour in red wine and scrape up the brown bits. Let it reduce by half (5 min).
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Return oxtail to the pot. Add stock, herbs, Worcestershire, and any remaining seasonings.
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Liquid should almost cover the meat — add more stock or water if needed.
4. Braise
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Bring to a simmer, then cover and braise in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 3–3.5 hours, or until meat is very tender and pulling away from the bone.
Stovetop Alternative: Simmer gently on low for 3 hours, checking periodically.
5. Optional: Thicken Sauce
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Remove oxtail. Skim excess fat if needed.
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Simmer the sauce to reduce, or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water) to thicken.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions:
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Serve over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered rice, or polenta.
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Top with chopped fresh parsley for brightness.
Would you like a Jamaican-style oxtail version (with allspice, scotch bonnet, and beans)?