Braised Oxtail Turnovers W Spicy Tomato Coulis Recipes

BRAISED OXTAIL

Steps:

• Toss the ingredients together in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Take oxtails out of marinade and reserve onion mixture. In a heavy-bottom braiser over medium-high heat, brown both sides of oxtail in batches in olive oil, drain excess oil leaving just enough to saute onion mixture and thyme. After the onions and thyme are sauteed return oxtails to braiser and add enough water to cover 1/4 of the oxtails. Allow the liquid to come to a simmer. Put cloves and allspice into a sachet or tie in a cheesecloth, and submerge in liquid. Season with salt, cover, and put into a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Then add tomatoes, red and Scotch Bonnet peppers. Stir well and return pot to the oven for half an hour or until oxtails are tender. Check to see if additional water is needed during braising process. Seasoning with more salt is recommended when finished.

BRAISED OXTAILS IN RED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Simmer the red wine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Meanwhile, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge the oxtail in the seasoned flour, and shake off excess; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the oxtails from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat to medium-low and melt another 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan. Stir in the shallots, garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, parsley, beef broth, and reduced red wine. Place the browned oxtail on top of the vegetables in a single layer, then bring to a boil.
• Cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil, then bake in preheated oven until the oxtail is very tender and nearly falling off the bone, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Once the oxtail is tender, remove the meat to a serving dish, cover, and keep warm. Strain the remaining braising liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced to 2 cups. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pour over the oxtail to serve.

ROMAN BRAISED OXTAIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set a roasting pan over medium heat. Peel and dice the carrot, onion, and half the celery (including leaves). Add oil to the roasting pan, followed by the vegetables and the pancetta. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and pancetta begins to crisp up, 15 minutes.
• Season oxtail with salt and pepper on both sides. Nestle into the roasting pan alongside the vegetables in an even layer to brown. Brown 5 minutes per side, then continue cooking another 5 minutes.
• Remove oxtails to a platter. Add tomato paste to the roasting pan, and stir to deglaze, 1-2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add wine, and stir, making sure to scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom, 1-2 minutes. Add tomato purée, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Place oxtails back in the pan in a single layer. Braise in the oven, uncovered, 1½ hours. (Oxtails will be braised for a total of 2 hours or more.)
• After 1½ hours, remove oxtails from oven. Slice remaining celery stalks (including leaves) into 3-inch-by-¼-inch strips. Add celery and marjoram. Turn oxtails over. Place back in the oven to braise for 30 minutes more.
• Oxtails are done when the meat is fork tender. To serve, place oxtails on a large platter with the sauce and the celery. Serve immediately.

CHINESE BRAISED OXTAILS

Steps:

• Clean the oxtails and pat them dry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown them on all sides.
• Remove the oxtails and set aside on a plate. To the pot, add the ginger, garlic, star anise, cloves, and bay leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes.
• Now it's time to add cooking wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, rock sugar, water, and salt (careful with the salt, as the soy sauce is already quite salty).
• Add the oxtails back to the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, depending on how tender you like your oxtails. Check halfway through and add more water if needed.
• Uncover, and continue simmering for another 30 minutes until the meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally, and add additional water if necessary to avoid sticking. Serve!

BRAISED OXTAIL TURNOVERS W/ SPICY TOMATO COULIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a 4-6 quart heavy, oven proof sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat ½ of olive until very hot. Liberally salt and pepper oxtail pieces and then sear all sides and remove. Reduce heat, add remaining olive oil and use a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add wine, beef broth and herbs and bring to a boil, reducing by about a 1/3. Place seared oxtail pieces in one layer back in the pan - liquid should just cover the tops. Braise oxtails, covered, in the middle of the oven for 3.5 to 5 hours, or until meat is very tender and nearly falling off the bone. Taste the braising liquid along the way. If too winey, add some beef bouillon or vegetable stock. If too meaty add vegetable stock or more wine. When oxtails are very tender remove with a slotted spoon and gently pull the meat off the bone using a tong and fork. Set aside. DO AHEAD: Cooked oxtails can be prepared one day in advance and refrigerated. Strain the braising mixture and reduce in a sauce pan until very thick and rich. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sheets so folded once, you have a long narrow strip of phyllo. Use a brush to paint a small amount of butter down the sheet. Place a tablespoon or so of the oxtail in one corner of the sheet, spoon on a little of the reduction and sprinkle with the shredded parmesan. Fold into triangles following the diagram shown, using more butter at the end if necessary to adhere. Brush both sides of turnover with a little more butter and place on cookie sheet. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. DO AHEAD: You can par-bake for five minutes a few hours before guests arrive and finish them off under the broiler for a couple minutes when ready to serve. Arrange golden brown turnovers on a serving platter, garnish with tomato coulis in fancy, zigzag fashion and sprinkle with parsley.

BRAISED OXTAIL STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a cast iron casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add oxtail and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer oxtail to a plate.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, chili powder, and pepper to the casserole. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add oxtail back to the casserole, then add beef stock and red wine. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in flour and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Add bay leaves and submerge in the sauce. Add mushrooms.
• Bake, covered, in the preheated oven until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Serve in the casserole dish.

SPANISH-STYLE OXTAILS BRAISED WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat oxtails dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown oxtails in batches without crowding, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer as browned to a bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
• Remove and discard casing from chorizo, then finely chop sausage in food processor.
• Cook chorizo, onion, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf in fat in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Add oxtails with any juices accumulated in bowl and chopped tomatoes (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat) and bring to a boil.
• Cover pot and braise oxtails in lower third of oven, turning once or twice, until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Skim fat from sauce, then stir in parsley, cilantro, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

BRAISED OXTAILS WITH WHITE BEANS AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• To prepare the beans: Soak the beans overnight in water to cover by 1 inch. Drain and place in a large pot. Add the water, onion and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, skimming any foam that collects on the surface; partially cover and adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, 1 hour or more (cooking time will depend on the age of the beans). Season with salt and pepper and let cool in the cooking liquid. Drain when cool, reserving the liquid. Discard the bay leaf and onion.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute to release its fragrance. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes to soften slightly. Add the beans and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make them brothy. Cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• To prepare the oxtails: Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the oxtails (in batches if necessary), season well with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium and brown well, then turn and brown the second side. Transfer the oxtails to a baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer.
• Pour off any fat in the skillet. Return the skillet to high heat, add the water and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge and dissolve any flavorful bits. Pour over the oxtails, scatter thyme sprigs in the dish, cover and bake until tender, 2 1/4-2 1/2 hours.
• To prepare the salsa verde: Combine the parsley, oil, anchovies, capers, breadcrumbs, garlic and vinegar. Season with salt.
• To serve: Divide the oxtails among warmed serving plates, leaving the fat behind in the baking dish. Put a generous spoonful of salsa verde on top of the oxtails. Spoon the beans around the meat.
• Note: Because many butcher shops don't regularly stock oxtails, call a day or two ahead to guarantee availability.