Oxtail Ossobuco

A while back, my beautiful Angel bought me some oxtail from Costco. It was two packs of oxtail, each about two pounds.  These packs would constitute my first efforts at using this ingredient. My first attempt was Cola de Res al Mole. A Mexican-inspired dish with a relatively simple mole sauce. It was a great effort and a very delicious meal. 

I still had one package of oxtail left. I also had one question: what to do with it?  I reviewed a bunch of recipes on the internet, and came across one of my favorite dishes. Ossobuco. This standard for this dish involves veal shanks, although one can find it prepared with beef shank, lamb shanks and even pork shanks. The use of the shank bone is ideal because, as the name suggests in Italian, it is a hollow bone.  Well, not entirely hollow, there is bone marrow, which is perhaps my favorite part of the dish. 

Oxtail is completely different than a shank. What it lacks in gelatin, it makes up for in gelatin. It is a cut that is ideal for braising, a long cook that helps to break down the oxtails and that provides the basis for rich sauce. When using oxtail, it is ideal to find pieces that are relatively the same size.  This helps to ensure that the pieces cook evenly. I just used the package that I had, which had a range of pieces from big to small.  Needless to say, by the time I was done, the small ones were just bones (the meat had already fallen off and was in the sauce) and the large ones were just about right. 

While this dish was good, I think I did a better job with the Cola de Res al Mole. At some point, I will get some more oxtail and try some new recipes. 

OXTAIL OSSO BUCCO

Recipe adapted from All Things Barbecue

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4.5 pounds of oxtail segments
• Hickory smoked salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, medium dice
• 2 large carrots medium dice
• 3-4 ribs celery, medium dice
• 12 cloves garlic, divided
• 3 cups (1 28 ounce can) San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, divided
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups dry white wine (Orvieto, Trebbiano, Prosecco)
• Beef stock
• Zest of two lemons

Directions:

1. Brown the oxtail.  Preheat the smoker, grill or oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Season the oxtails with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the oxtails, shaking off excess flour and transfer to a hot Dutch oven. Sear and brown on all sides, working in batches to avoid overcrowding.  Transfer oxtail segments to a plate and repeat with the remaining oxtail segments. 

2. Sauté the vegetables.  Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven.  Stir in the onions, carrots, celery and crushed garlic cloves and cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add about 1/3 of the bunch of parsley to the Dutch oven, as well as the thyme and bay leaf.  Pour whine over the veggies and bring to a simmer.  

3. Continue to cook the oxtail. Add the tomatoes and return the oxtail segments to the Dutch oven.  If there is not enough liquid to cover the oxtail segments, then add some beef stock.  The beef does not need to be fully submerged.  Transfer the Dutch oven to the grill or the oven. Cook, checking the liquid level occasionally.  If the liquid reduces all the way, add more beef stock.  Cook until the meat is nearly falling off the bone, about 2.5 to 3 hours.  If the liquid is still fairly runny, transfer the oxtails to a plate and cover with aluminum fil and leave the pot in the cooker or in the oven until the liquid is reduced or thickened. 

4. Prepare the polenta and gremolata. During the last 30 minutes, prepare the polenta according to the instructions on the package. Prepare the gremolata by mincing the remaining parsley leaves and garlic and tossing it in a bowl with the lemon zest. 

5. Finish the dish. Spoon the polenta at the bottom of the plate.  Place the oxtails over the polenta, sauce with the liquid and sprinkle the gremolata on top. 

ENJOY!