Recipe: Oxtail Stew

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of oxtails
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 quart of beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
• 2 pounds of potatoes
• 1 cup of celery
• 2 cups of carrots
• 1/4 cup of parsley

Instructions

Step 1

Transcript: Oxtail Stew
Hi, I'm Chef John Mitzewich for About.com. Today we're making a very old-fashioned recipe, and it's called oxtail stew.

Step 2

Definition of Oxtail
Now first of all, no oxen were harmed in the filming of this video. Those are actually cow tails. So they're not ox, they just call them oxtails.

We need 2 pounds of oxtails. I guess it's a marketing thing; people wouldn't buy cow tails.

Step 3

Brown the Oxtails
So, we're going to take a tablespoon of oil, and we're going to brown those oxtails over medium-high heat, as brown as you can get them. About 10 minutes. They are kind of oddly shaped, so move them around so they brown on all sides.

Step 4

Saute the Onions
Remove them and add 1 chopped onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. We're going to sauté the onions for about five minutes to get a little brown color on them and soften them up a little bit.

We're going to add 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. So we're going to make a quick little roux here to thicken this really rich, really delicious stock. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook the flour for about three minutes.

Step 5

Combine the Oxtail Stew Ingredients
Then we're going to add two cloves of minced garlic and give that a stir. Then 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, which will give it some color and some nice acidity. Then put the oxtails back into the pot. Add 1 quart of beef broth.

And our seasoning is very simple: 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Give it a stir, and that's pretty much it.

Step 6

Simmer the Oxtail Stew
We're going to add a little bit of water, about a cup to bring up the level to the top of the oxtails. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 hours covered. It's a long time, I know.

In the meantime, we're going to get 2 pounds of potatoes ready; quarter those. Then get 1 cup of celery and 2 cups of carrots sliced.

Step 7

Combine the Vegetables and Oxtails
Five hours later, those oxtails are fork-tender. It really does take that long. They are really tough pieces of meat, but the tougher the meat, the better the meat. Just like shanks, really great flavor.

We're going to add our veggies in there, and we're going to cook those potatoes, carrots and celery for about 30 minutes or until tender.

Step 8

Serve the Oxtail Stew
When those are tender, skim off the fat. Turn off the heat, go ahead and add a 1/4 cup of parsley which will give it some nice color and flavor.

And then we're going to put it in a bowl and you're going to taste the most succulent, sweet, just sticky delicious stuff you've ever had.

This is such a great old-fashioned stew. Really, really good for you with all that collagen. You may think that is fat, but it's actually collagen, which is a protein that gives it that great stickiness. I think this is a recipe you can really get "behind!" Enjoy.