Oxtails - mmm

Scratch off another "never have I ever" food item. Jewel had packages of oxtail with "50% off Manager's Special" coupons on them, making them $5 a pound instead of $10. A 1.8lb package of three meaty chunks made a good dinner and enough for another single meal. I used Kenji Lopez-Alt's Oxtail Jus recipe with adjustments, remembering some of the key things in french daube.

1) Salt and sear in a hot dutch oven with a little oil. Remove and put in the dutch oven lid.
2) Add aromatics (fridge was a little poorly stocked, I used an onion, about 2/3C shredded carrots, and about a half cup sliced parsnip that's been sitting around since December), cook till browned.
3) Add about a half bottle of red wine (all I had open was Mogen David, something drier would have been better), deglaze, reduce by half. Add four large mushrooms, chopped into 3/4" pieces, a can of chicken stock, a minced anchovy, bouquet garni (fresh thyme and parsley, dried bay leaves). Taste for salt and pepper.
4) Put the meat back in with any juices, bring to boil, put in 350F oven for 3.5 hours.
5) Remove meat to plate, when cool, shred. Throw away the bouquet garni.
6) Taste the sauce/stew for salt and pepper, adjust with a little vinegar (I compounded by oversweetness by grabbing the balsamic), finish with some fresh parsley and grated lemon zest.
7) Stir the meat back in, serve with fresh-baked olive bread.

It's gooey-er meat than short rib, but not by much, and without the large hunks of connective tissue you can get in a short rib. I'd be happy with either one for daubes in the future - both are much superior to the so-called boneless short ribs.

I love oxtails. Not the local Jewel, but--if you find yourself up in Door County, drive a bit out of the way to Marchant's Foods in Brussels, Wisconsin, for some excellent and inexpensive oxtails. The last time we were there, last fall, we raided their freezer section, which is full of goodies such as vacuum-sealed oxtails and short ribs for prices that can make a Chicagoan weep. Just bring your cooler.

EvA wrote:I love oxtails. Not the local Jewel, but--if you find yourself up in Door County, drive a bit out of the way to Marchant's Foods in Brussels, Wisconsin, for some excellent and inexpensive oxtails. The last time we were there, last fall, we raided their freezer section, which is full of goodies such as vacuum-sealed oxtails and short ribs for prices that can make a Chicagoan weep. Just bring your cooler.

What is cheap for oxtails? Darn those things have climbed in price. I once thought $3.99 a pound was expensive, but it has climbed higher.

Not so long ago, I remember chicken wings for 29 cents a pound. I have maybe 10 pounds in the freezer for the wickedly good price of 99 cents, but that was an anomaly.

Heck, pig ears were once 50 cents and now are over $2.50, but I can still get pig snouts for 59 cents and sometimes even less on sale.

Regards,
Cathy2

Never really tried them until early 1980's there was a Cuban/Haitian place on Howard St. near the L called El Dinamico Dallas. Incredible oxtail stew, which was sometimes indistinguishable from their 'cow's feet' stew. Either were great.

I had tried to make them a couple times but never steamed them enough so that the meat would fall off--tasted fine but it was a tough gnaw.

Finally, I tried the oxtails at Manny's on Jefferson in about 2000. Nirvana. It was about $13.95 at the time--the most expensive item there, and I suspect they've gotten quite a bit more expensive since then, with the cost of meat and Manny's expansion.

JoelF wrote:3) Add about a half bottle of red wine (all I had open was Mogen David, something drier would have been better), deglaze, reduce by half.

Wow, yeah. I'd think so. If MD was all I had, I might have scrapped the entire affair. Was the finished dish sweet?

=R=

Cathy2 wrote:I love oxtails. Not the local Jewel, but--if you find yourself up in Door County, drive a bit out of the way to Marchant's Foods I once thought $3.99 a pound was expensive, but it has climbed higher.

When I was working in Japan I was asked to do a chef's dinner and put oxtails on the menu. Had no idea they cost about 20x's what I was used to paying in the states.

Cathy2 wrote:What is cheap for oxtails? Darn those things have climbed in price. I once thought $3.99 a pound was expensive, but it has climbed higher.

They were $2.99 per pound at Marchant's.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

JoelF wrote:3) Add about a half bottle of red wine (all I had open was Mogen David, something drier would have been better), deglaze, reduce by half.

Wow, yeah. I'd think so. If MD was all I had, I might have scrapped the entire affair. Was the finished dish sweet?

=R=

Only a little sweet. Certainly not like barbecue sauce level. A little more vinegar and I'd have been fine.

EvA wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:What is cheap for oxtails? Darn those things have climbed in price. I once thought $3.99 a pound was expensive, but it has climbed higher.

They were $2.99 per pound at Marchant's.

That is certainly a better price, thank you!

Regards,
Cathy2