Oxtails with Gravy

Oxtails make the most flavorful beef stock. For the most part, the robust beef flavor comes from the bones and marrow, but the meat is also very tasty. The rendered stock will be thick and gelatinous due to the collagen released. 

Long, slow braising in a liquid is the preferred method to derive a tender result while drawing maximum flavor from what is pretty much all bones. Plan on a long cooking time. Oxtails work particularly well in crockpots and pressure cookers.

The first time I tried Oxtail, it was prepared by Tong, owner and operator of Tong's Thai.

I don't know his recipe, but I remember it had a very nice, gravy-like, sauce.  I found this recipe online and decided to give it a try.  I was not disappointed.   ~Shelly 

 

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds beef oxtail

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Greek seasoning

Browning Sauces

at Harter House World Flavors

Gravy Master 

B-V Broth and Sauce 

1 teaspoon seasoning salt                           

2 tablespoons bacon drippings or shortening

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups broth from cooked oxtails

2 dashes browning sauce

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place oxtails, garlic, onions, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, Greek seasoning, and seasoning salt in a large stock pot. Fill with enough water to cover oxtails, and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from heat, and reserve 2 cups broth.

Warm bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and browning sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until gravy thickens. Remove from heat.

Place oxtails in skillet, and stir to coat with gravy. Return to stove, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The Oxtails are very fatty.  I removed the meat from the oxtail portions, separating the fat, before adding the meat to my gravy. 

Add any vegetables you desire to this delicious meat and gravy dish!

~Shelly 

 

This is another Oxtail recipe I want to try next.

 

OXTAIL STEW

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour

Salt and pepper

6 pounds oxtail, cut into chunks

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic sliced then mashed in salt to puree consistency

1 red onion chopped

1 cup red wine

3 cups crushed tomatoes with juice

Water, to cover

3 bay leaves

2 pounds carrots peeled and chopped into large chunks

2 pounds potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks

DIRECTIONS

In a shallow bowl, add the flour. Season well with salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the flour, shaking off any excess. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven over high heat, add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat, and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. When all of the meat is browned, remove the meat from the pan and set aside on a plate.

To the pot, add the garlic and red onion and allow to sweat. Add the wine to the pot. Add the browned meat back into the pot and add the crushed tomatoes. Add enough water to cover the meat and add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and simmer over low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

Add the carrots and the potatoes and simmer for another 45 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Coq au Vin - Rooster with Wine

For best results,  let the finished dish cool and then refrigerate it ’till the next day, skimming any fat from the surface and re-heating the coq au vin very gently.

Photo by Kate Jackson

Ingredients

1/2 cup Harter House thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/4- by 1 1/2-inch strips (optional)
2 or more tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken thighs/legs with skin, thoroughly dried
1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
20 pearl onions, peeled (can use frozen)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine, preferably Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or pinot noir
About 2 cups chicken stock (Homemade is best) or beef stock
1 or 2 garlic cloves, mashed or minced
About 1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed, and quartered

SIDES

Carrots

Mashed or new potatoes

Directions

To make the coq au vin on your stove top, toss bacon in a heavy-bottomed casserole or pot along with 2 tablespoons oil over medium or medium-high until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the  bacon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.

2. Heat the drippings or oil remaining in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pieces. (You may need to work in batches). Cook the chicken, turning frequently, until nicely browned on all sides. (If working in batches, return all the chicken to the pot.) Carefully pour the Cognac or Armagnac into the pot and wait until it becomes bubbling hot. If desired—and if you’re brave—ignite the sauce with a match. Let it flame for a minute, gently tilting the pot by its handle and swirling the sauce to burn off the alcohol. To extinguish the flames, simply cover the pan with its lid.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan and then nestle the onions, carrots and potatoes, around the chicken. Cover the pot and let the chicken simmer gently, turning the pieces once, for about 10 minutes.

4. Uncover the pot, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and vegetables so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.

5. Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir and swirl in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the bacon, garlic, and tomato paste to the pot, cover, and gently simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness (there should be no trace of pink and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife). Grab some tongs and transfer the chicken pieces to the plate when they’re done.  If the vegetables are not quite tender, continue cooking them in the sauce, then return the chicken to the pot, add the mushrooms, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat the chicken and vegetables. (If the sauce seems too thin, bring it to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced to the desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock.) Taste the sauce and correct the seasoning accordingly. Serve the coq au vin immediately or let it cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. To reheat, skim any fat that has congealed on the surface of the stew and place the pot of coq au vin over medium-low heat.

NOTE

You can consider incorporating some flavor-making steps that were omitted in the making Julia Child's version of the French classic. back into your coq au vin routine to imbue it with layer after layer of complexity. First, uncork that bottle of red and douse the bird, allowing it to take an overnight bath in the fridge to infuse the meat with a subtle but certain depth of flavor—not to mention a slightly freakish maroon hue. Drain the chicken then pat it dry and continue with the searing, reserving the wine to use during cooking. 

Another easy trick? Sauté those teensy pearl onions in the rendered bacon drippings prior to adding them to the stew for what we think are obvious reasons. Same goes with the mushrooms. And never, ever serve the stew straightaway from the stovetop; rather, let it cool and then refrigerate it ’till the next day, skimming any fat from the surface and heating the coq au vin gently—and we do mean gently—over low heat until warmed through. And you thought you didn’t know how to speak French.

FROM - LeitesCulinaria.com     Adapted from Julia Child's Kitchen

Interesting reading about Julia Child and the History of this recipe.

Notes from cooks

Jackie made mashed potatoes.  She added more mushrooms and pearl onions than the recipe called for, and hungered for even more.  The dish was served with multi-colored baby carrots.  She served an Oregon medium-bodied Pinot Noir with this dish.

Krista served it with egg noodles and a salad, and her guests nearly licked their plates, they loved it so much.

Alice added crunchy French bread for dipping into the extra sauce.

Craig Claiborne's Beef Stew

Yield:  8 servings

Time: About 2 hours

It would be hard to find a simpler meal than Mr. Claiborne’s hearty beef stew, which goes beautifully with buttered noodles and a stout glass of red wine. A small scattering of cloves adds a floral note to the gravy, augmented by just a little thyme, and the combination pairs beautifully with the carrots you add near the end of the cooking process, to prevent them from going mushy in the heat. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the finished dish, of course, a nod to the past that rewards in beauty and flavor alike.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds lean, boneless chuck steak
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups water (or beef stock) 
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 6 sprigs parsley, tied in a bundle
• 6 large carrots, about 1 1/2 pounds, trimmed and scraped

Preparation

1. Cut the meat into two-inch cubes.
2. Using a large skillet, heat the oil and add the beef cubes in one layer. Add salt and pepper and cook, stirring and turning the pieces often, for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the meat evenly.
4. Add the wine and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the water. Add the cloves, bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Cover closely and simmer for one hour.
5. Meanwhile, cut the carrots into one-inch lengths. If the pieces are very large, cut them in half lengthwise. Add them to the beef. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Serve the stew sprinkled with chopped parsley.

NOTES from other cooks

Trust your instincts on this one. Cook the beef in batches, cook the onions and garlic alone and then add the flour to the onions and cook to make a well browned roux before returning the beef to the pot. Allow most of the alcohol to cook off after adding the wine as it thickens. I went for adding rich flavor and used a cup of beef stock in place of the water.

I made the following changes to the base recipe:

I used 3 cups of wine (cab sauv) and 1 cup of beef stock

I let the alcohol burn off for quite a while (maybe 15+ mins)

I roasted some mushrooms and added them when I added the water

I cooked the whole thing about 30-60 mins longer than directed

I added potatoes and celery when there was 30 mins left

I added some extra thyme at the very end

Add fresh cranberry beans at the same time as the wine.

Add dumplings on top.

Serve this over mashed potatoes.

Add some tomato paste and more liquid if it's too thick.

Use a DASH of cloves, rather than whole cloves.

Enjoy!

from New York Times Cooking
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1321-craig-claibornes-beef-stew