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Braised Oxtails (Oxtail Stew)

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Braised Oxtails (Oxtail Stew)

Cuisine:American

Course:Dinner

30m prep 5h cook 5h ready

4 servings Oxtails need the gentle, slow heat of a braise to soften their connective tissue. The result is a dish with a rich beef flavor and a velvety sauce. Oxtails are usually sold in 1- to 3-inch cross sections; because of the amount of bone, you should buy at least 1 pound per person. Pieces from the very narrow tip of the tail yield almost no meat and are best saved for the stockpot. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, lard, or beef fat
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 pounds oxtails, crosscut into 1- to 2-inch-long pieces
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 3 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or water
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • (Kneaded Butter, made with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Chopped parsley
  • 1
    • 2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into large chunks (left whole and unpeeled if baking)
    • ½ cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
    • 6 tablespoons butter
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black or white pepper
    • (2 tablespoons butter, softened)
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Boil or bake until tender: 2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into large chunks (left whole and unpeeled if baking)
    2. Meanwhile, heat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat: ½ cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk; 6 tablespoons butter; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black or white pepper
    3. Do not let the mixture boil. If using boiled potatoes, transfer them to a colander placed in the sink and briefly rinse off any excess starch. Return to the pot they were cooked in and shake over medium heat until mealy and dry. If using baked potatoes, wait until they are just cool enough to handle and carefully peel off the skin, or cut each potato in half and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the hot potatoes or run them through a potato ricer (if using a ricer, you can rice large chunks of boiled potato with the skin intact—the skin will be left behind in the ricer). Fold the cream mixture into the potatoes, stirring just enough to incorporate (overworking the potatoes will turn them gummy). If the potatoes seem stiff, add more hot cream or milk. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
    4. Transfer to a serving dish and serve at once. If desired, top with: (2 tablespoons butter, softened)
    5. Mashed potatoes can be kept hot for up to 30 minutes by covering the (heatproof) serving dish with foil and placing it in a warm oven.

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, lard, or beef fat
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 pounds oxtails, crosscut into 1- to 2-inch-long pieces
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 3 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or water
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • (Kneaded Butter, made with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Chopped parsley
  • 1 Mashed Potatoes

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Heat in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof skillet: ¼ cup vegetable oil, lard, or beef fat

  2. Step 2.

    Whisk together in a large bowl: 2 cups flour; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon salt

  3. Step 3.

    Dredge: 4 pounds oxtails, crosscut into 1- to 2-inch-long pieces

  4. Step 4.

    in the seasoned flour. Brown the oxtails in batches, transferring them to a plate as they finish. Pour off the fat and add to the pan: ½ cup white wine

  5. Step 5.

    Scrape up any browned bits and let the wine cook off a bit. Add: 3 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or water

  6. Step 6.

    Return the oxtails to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, transfer the pan to the oven, and cook until the oxtails are very tender, 4 to 5 hours, adding more stock if needed. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, add: 2 large onions, chopped; 3 carrots, chopped; 3 celery ribs, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped

  7. Step 7.

    Transfer the oxtails and vegetables to a platter with a slotted spoon and skim off as much fat as possible (a gravy separator comes in handy here). Reduce the liquid over medium-high heat until it thickens somewhat, or add: (Kneaded Butter, made with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)

  8. Step 8.

    Season to taste with: Salt and black pepper; Chopped parsley

  9. Step 9.

    Pour the sauce over the oxtails and serve with: Mashed Potatoes

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