I like to get more unusual cuts of meat - often they're cheap and delicious. I was in a supermarket the other night, and saw that they had some reduced oxtail, so thought I would make this easy stew for the house. The meat was a steal at a fiver for 1.3 kilos, so it was well within waiting-for-the-bursary budget.
The stew is great with oxtail, but you could also use braising beef - the method is basically the same.
Apart from the ingredients, all you need is a little time and patience, so give it a go!
The stew is great with oxtail, but you could also use braising beef - the method is basically the same.
Apart from the ingredients, all you need is a little time and patience, so give it a go!
Ingredients (served 5 with leftovers)
1.3 kilos of oxtail
2 medium onions, sliced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
A couple of handfuls of mushrooms, sliced.
A clove of garlic, chopped
250ml red wine (I used cooking wine)
Beef stock (as much as you need to just cover the beef)
A tablespoon of tomato puree
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 bay leaves and rosemary
1.3 kilos of oxtail
2 medium onions, sliced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
A couple of handfuls of mushrooms, sliced.
A clove of garlic, chopped
250ml red wine (I used cooking wine)
Beef stock (as much as you need to just cover the beef)
A tablespoon of tomato puree
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 bay leaves and rosemary
Method
This is a really simple recipe that just takes a few hours to coo.k. First, season the oxtail chunks with salt and pepper all over, and then brown them in a heavy-bottomed frying pan (or any frying pan) using a tablespoon of cooking oil. Once they're done, remove them to a plate, chuck in the mushrooms and fry them until they've shrunk.
This is a really simple recipe that just takes a few hours to coo.k. First, season the oxtail chunks with salt and pepper all over, and then brown them in a heavy-bottomed frying pan (or any frying pan) using a tablespoon of cooking oil. Once they're done, remove them to a plate, chuck in the mushrooms and fry them until they've shrunk.
Now deglaze the pan with the red wine, letting it boil quite hard. Stir in the bay leaves and rosemary (you don't need the rosemary, it was just in the garden). Pour in a good amount of the beefstock, too, and stir in the puree.
While you're doing this, soften the onions and celery in a casserole with the rest of the oil, on a medium heat. When these look a bit translucent, add the garlic and carrot chunks, and continue to soften. When they're done, stir in the mushrooms, pop the beef on top, and pour in the sauce so the meat is barely covered (adding stock to top up if you need to). Put the lid on the casserole and leave on a low heat for four hours.
When the four hours are over, take one of the oxtail chunks out of the sauce and pull the meat off with two forks. It should just fall off - if you struggle, leave it in for another half hour or so then try again. When the meat is tender enough, spoon out all of the oxtails, remove their meat and return to the pan (and return the bones to the bin...)
We left it in the fridge overnight to cool then reheated it the next day and served it with mash - fantastic!
While you're doing this, soften the onions and celery in a casserole with the rest of the oil, on a medium heat. When these look a bit translucent, add the garlic and carrot chunks, and continue to soften. When they're done, stir in the mushrooms, pop the beef on top, and pour in the sauce so the meat is barely covered (adding stock to top up if you need to). Put the lid on the casserole and leave on a low heat for four hours.
When the four hours are over, take one of the oxtail chunks out of the sauce and pull the meat off with two forks. It should just fall off - if you struggle, leave it in for another half hour or so then try again. When the meat is tender enough, spoon out all of the oxtails, remove their meat and return to the pan (and return the bones to the bin...)
We left it in the fridge overnight to cool then reheated it the next day and served it with mash - fantastic!