– ⅓ cup flour – Salt and pepper – 4-5 pounds oxtails – Neutral oil – 2 large onions, peeled and quartered – 1 bulb of garlic (about 12 cloves), peeled (half left whole, half roughly chopped) – 1 bottle red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon) – 4 cups beef or vegetable broth – 3 bay leaves
*Red sauce*
– 2 fresh basil leaves – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ tablespoon dried thyme (see steps) – 2 large carrots, cubed – 1 large onion, peeled and diced – 3 celery stalks, diced – 2 28-ounce cans crushed or roasted tomatoes – 1 14-ounce can peeled tomatoes – 2 tablespoon Italian herbs – 1 tablespoon onion powder – 3 teaspoons garlic powder – 2 teaspoons crushed red-pepper flakes (optional) – Old Parmesan rind (optional) – Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (optional, see tip)
**STEPS**
*Oxtails*
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, add flour and season heavily with salt and pepper. Toss oxtail in flour. Shake excess flour off and set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed pot that had a lid and is oven-safe, heat oil over medium heat
Sear oxtails, until golden brown on each side, about 6 minutes per side. Work in batches, and set seared oxtails aside. Remove a few tablespoons of oil from the pan; there should be an even layer of oil remaining in the pan.
Add quartered onions and 6 whole garlic cloves. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of wine; scrape pan bottom for brown bits. Add oxtails back to pot, and add broth and bay leaves. Cap and place in the oven for 2 hours. (You can also bring liquid to a boil, and continue cooking on the stove.) When oxtails are ready, meat will pull away from the bone.
Remove from oven and let cool enough where they are safe to handle. Start red sauce (see steps below) an hour into oxtails braising. Remove meat from the bone, try to remove large fat chunks. Set meat aside
*Red sauce*
In a saucepot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan over medium heat. Add basil and fresh thyme sprigs (not dried); cook until aromatic (about when basil begins to fry). Remove basil leaves and thyme sprigs.
Add carrots, diced onions, celery, dried thyme (if applicable) and diced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and saute: Garlic should be brown but not onions, 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat if you have to. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of red wine
Add all canned tomatoes, Italian herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes (if applicable) and Parmesan rind (if applicable); season heavily with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 1 hour.
When oxtails are finished, add meat to red sauce. Stirring occasionally cook for an additional 30 minutes uncovered over medium-low heat. Sauce should stew for at least 90 minutes total, with at least 30 minutes of cooking with the meat. You can let the sauce go longer but may need to add additional liquid if it gets too thick.
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[recipe](https://nomishbynature.com/2023/01/03/oxtail-ragu/)
**INGREDIENTS**
*Oxtails*
– ⅓ cup flour
– Salt and pepper
– 4-5 pounds oxtails
– Neutral oil
– 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
– 1 bulb of garlic (about 12 cloves), peeled (half left whole, half roughly chopped)
– 1 bottle red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
– 4 cups beef or vegetable broth
– 3 bay leaves
*Red sauce*
– 2 fresh basil leaves
– 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ tablespoon dried thyme (see steps)
– 2 large carrots, cubed
– 1 large onion, peeled and diced
– 3 celery stalks, diced
– 2 28-ounce cans crushed or roasted tomatoes
– 1 14-ounce can peeled tomatoes
– 2 tablespoon Italian herbs
– 1 tablespoon onion powder
– 3 teaspoons garlic powder
– 2 teaspoons crushed red-pepper flakes (optional)
– Old Parmesan rind (optional)
– Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (optional, see tip)
**STEPS**
*Oxtails*
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, add flour and season heavily with salt and pepper. Toss oxtail in flour. Shake excess flour off and set aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot that had a lid and is oven-safe, heat oil over medium heat
Sear oxtails, until golden brown on each side, about 6 minutes per side. Work in batches, and set seared oxtails aside. Remove a few tablespoons of oil from the pan; there should be an even layer of oil remaining in the pan.
Add quartered onions and 6 whole garlic cloves. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of wine; scrape pan bottom for brown bits. Add oxtails back to pot, and add broth and bay leaves. Cap and place in the oven for 2 hours. (You can also bring liquid to a boil, and continue cooking on the stove.) When oxtails are ready, meat will pull away from the bone.
Remove from oven and let cool enough where they are safe to handle. Start red sauce (see steps below) an hour into oxtails braising.
Remove meat from the bone, try to remove large fat chunks. Set meat aside
*Red sauce*
In a saucepot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan over medium heat. Add basil and fresh thyme sprigs (not dried); cook until aromatic (about when basil begins to fry). Remove basil leaves and thyme sprigs.
Add carrots, diced onions, celery, dried thyme (if applicable) and diced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and saute: Garlic should be brown but not onions, 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat if you have to. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of red wine
Add all canned tomatoes, Italian herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes (if applicable) and Parmesan rind (if applicable); season heavily with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 1 hour.
When oxtails are finished, add meat to red sauce.
Stirring occasionally cook for an additional 30 minutes uncovered over medium-low heat. Sauce should stew for at least 90 minutes total, with at least 30 minutes of cooking with the meat. You can let the sauce go longer but may need to add additional liquid if it gets too thick.