I know Ernest has a few as do many others. I've never made them before but bc of a post here last week they were on my mind when I visited Costco so I picked up a pack of them.
Do I braise 'em, smoke 'em...I really don't have a clue but i'm making them tomorrow so your input here will be invaluable. If you could please post your favorites I'd appreciate that. Thanks in advance!!
I have done this several times. Smoked then braised Jamaican style Oxtail. I basically smoked the oxtail for 2-3 hours to get some smoke flavor, color and let a lot of the fat drip off. Then braise for another 2-3 hours to get them tender. It's a lengthy process but worth. My wife does the braising and she is at work. I will get her exact method to you ASAP.​​​​
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Last edited by troymeister; April 1, 2017, 08:20 AM.
Ernest I do this only when it is one of those days when I know I will be home all day. What makes it easier is I do half and my wife does the other half
Quick option
season heavily with salt.
sear to brown them, really deep
Diced onions sweat in the the same pan.
Curry powder to the onions,
a bunch of tomato paste, cook until it starts to stick to pan.
add a can of coconut cream. Deglaze pan.
Add the oxtails back to pan, cover with stock. Bring to sim and cook in 350 degrees oven until tender.
You don't need a bunch of spices for oxtail. It's fantastic kept as simple as possible.
@CountOfQ I use any red wine that's available at the time, as long as it's not a dessert sweet red. I don't sweat cooking details LOL.
come to think of it, I've done lamb shanks with moscato before.
Ernest, It sounds like you go with the, "whatever I'm pouring in my glass at the time" philosophy. :-D
Thank you both. I was not brought up in a household that cooked with wine, so I often wonder how much I am changing the recipes when using stock instead, as I was taught. EdF
I wasn't going to do it, because the recipes already here are great. Here's an oxtail stew. Thing is, if you were to do the smoking thing the OP proposed, you could almost cut out the browning - you just want to catch some flavor. Here goes:
Large oxtail cut in sections (just get a bunch of sections)
Flour
1/4 stick of butter
Cup of dry white wine
4 onions (preferably white)
A sliced carrot
2 cloves garlic (or more if you're like my wife)
2 small tomatoes
Parsley, thyme, bay leaf (fresh)
1 blade of mace
1/2 tsp cumin powder
salt and pepper
Roll the meat in flour, then fry in casserole with butter at high heat until brown (do it just a bit if pre-smoking, so you can capture some flavor in the butter).
Pour off excess fat.
Reduce heat and add wine, veggies, herbs and spices
Cover and cook for 3 hours over low flame or in moderate (300?) oven
Skim off fat
Season to taste.
Good with lots of coarse pepper
Serve with broad noodles, rice, boiled taters or spaetzle.
Ingredients:
1 full oxtail
1 med onion rough chopped
1 small red onion or shallot rough chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper rough chopped
4 cloves of garlic small diced or minced. 1/2 reserved
1 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme or 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper seeded and minced. 1/2 reserved
2 small tomatoes diced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 allspice berries
2 tbsps tomato paste or ketchup
1 can of butterbeans. liquid in the can reserved.
1 cup water or beer. Maybe more.
Salt to taste
pepper to taste
Directions:
Season meat with: soy sauce, 1/2 of garlic, 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, 1/2 of thyme, black pepper. Let sit in fridge for a few hours or overnight is best.
Put meat on on smoker for 2+ hours @ 225-275. Use mild smoke flavor. I.e. Apple wood. Less is more. Purpose is to let some fat drip off, get a little smoke flavor, and get a nice color.
While meat is on smoker, in large pot, sauté onion, bell pepper, rest of garlic, rest of scotch bonnet pepper until soft. Set aside.
When oxtail is done smoking (after 2-3 hours) put meat in pot. Then put the sautéed veggies on top of the meat.
Add the liquid from the butter beans, tomatoes, water or beer to cover 2/3 of meat, tomato paste or ketchup, allspice berries, rest of thyme.
Cover pot, Bring to to rapid simmer then to simmer for 2+ hours until meat is fall off the bone tender.
Add butterbeanns, remove from heat, let rest for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice. Enjoy
This recipe is very close to how it would be made for a Sunday dinner in a regular person's home in Jamaica.
Last edited by troymeister; April 1, 2017, 10:08 PM.
I forgot to mention, we are able to buy oxtails from a small processing facility in NW Illinois for $3.00 a tail. The meat is locally raised, responsibly sourced and absolutely delicious. Livers are .50 a piece. That would be great if i liked liver...lol...
Update. My Sunday cook was stolen from me w a couple work emergencies. I put the oxtail in the freezer for another time. Thanks everyone for the input.
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