Braised Oxtail in Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce

Oxtail, literally the tail of the ox cut into sections about 2 inches in length, was once thought of as just another part of the animal to eat as nothing would have been wasted. Today, it is the tail from a beef cow and seldom used. It is mostly bone but with succulent chunks of meat if you are willing to do a bit of work for them. Surprisingly, of late, oxtail has become a delicious addition to many upscale restaurants.

Never seen an oxtail at your supermarket? If you can find it, you will usually find the price very affordable. You may have to ask your butcher to order them. At my local supermarket they are often on display but go unpurchased until they wind up in the mark down bin. Sad, because the lowly oxtail, properly prepared, can be a richly delicious bonne bouche.

Here is one recipe I recently developed that I found delicious.


Braised Oxtail in Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce
Serves 6

6 pounds of oxtail cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
2 cups Red Wine
2 cups of sweet onions such as Walla Walla sliced 1/4 inch
4 cups of assorted mushrooms chopped and sliced--shiitakes, criminis, chanterelles, oysters, porcinis and or morels (Use what you can find and experiment. Wild are best.)
2 cups of good beef broth
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Parsley, coarsely chopped

Brown off oxtails in a large, heavy dutch oven. When browned, remove oxtail pieces with tongs. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, carrots and bay leaf to oil. Saute until tender. Add oxtail back into vegetables. Add wine beef broth and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook on stove top for 3 hours or until the meat is nearly falling off the bone.

Uncover, tilt the dutch oven slightly, and skim as much fat as possible using a bulb baster or ladle. Remove the meat to a plate and keep warm. Remove bay leaf. Bring heat back up to high and reduce the pan sauce until thickened. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve oxtails over pasta or mashed potatoes and pour sauce over oxtails. Serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley.