Oxtail Stew

Cooking time: 45 minutes, Inactive: 10 hours | Difficulty level: Difficult

The mention of oxtail makes many people twitch their noses (I was one of those people!) but it is, in fact a really delicious and nutritious part of the ox. Since it is a continuation of the vertebral column, its marrow is rich in iron. Oxtails tend to be fatty but my recipe tells you how to get rid of most of the fat. Oxtail stew involves a lot of patience, but the efforts are rewarding. I thank my aunt, Suchitra Mami, for introducing me to this awesome dish!

Ingredients
2 lb oxtails, cut at the joints (the shop selling them will cut them for you)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 whole garlic cloves
2 cups beef broth (chicken broth will also do)
1 cup cooking wine (red preferred, white is fine too)
1 large bay leaf
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley
salt
ground black pepper
olive oil


Method:

1. Wash and pat-dry the oxtail pieces. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper on both sides
2. In a flat bottomed pot, heat about 2-3 tbsp olive oil on medium heat
3. Place the oxtails flat in the oil and cook them till the meat turns brown (no longer red/pink). When done, use a pair of tongs to turn them over and cook the other side. Note: You may also need to cook them on the sides if the pieces are too thick. Cook in batches to avoid over crowding
4. Remove the oxtails on a tissue paper to let the excess oil drain
5. In the same pot of oil, add the onions, celery and carrots. Sauté and cook until the onions become translucent
6. Now add the garlic cloves and oxtail pieces and cook for another couple of minutes
7. Add the broth, wine, bay leaf, thyme and parsley and bring to a simmer
8. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Let it cook for 3-4 hours
9. When the meat is done (if you stick a fork in it, it should go in easy), remove the oxtail pieces, draining any liquid back in the stew
10. Once the stew has cooled down, put it in the refrigerator for the fat to solidify on the surface
11. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape off the fat and throw it out
12. Heat the stew and add the oxtails back to it to bring everything to the same temperature
13. Drain off the vegetable remains and throw them out (or you can leave them in in you like chunky stew)
14. Garnish with parsley

Serve hot with bread. Serves 4-6.

 Helpful Tips:

• You can easily find oxtails at Asian stores or some Halal stores that sell fresh meat
• If you don't have fresh parsley or thyme, you can use dry herbs or even some cilantro (coriander) will do.
• You can add a variety of vegetables along with or instead of the carrots and celery. Some people add turnips and potatoes, but in case of potatoes, the stew will be thicker. Stew can have almost any vegetables that have a characteristic flavor and won't disintegrate when cooked for 3-4 hours
• Do not turn the heat back to medium to speed up the cooking process as this won't allow the flavors to mix well in the stew
• Red wine is desired for cooking beef, but I use white wine as it is more universal. Either is fine though