Along with my other spoils from the Asian market I bought some oxtail. Oxtail is surprisingly expensive. I got about 4 pieces of oxtail for $8. Though, I'm not sure of the weight, it wasn't much more than a pound. Considering the high price, I had high expectations. I decided to braise them with some beef stock and wine. First I cooked them in some olive oil on med/high heat to give some nice color, turning them every few minutes. Then, I added some chopped garlic, onion, celery and tomato. When the veggies were softened I poured in some red wine (pictured) and some beef stock. I spiced with caraway, fennel, sage and rosemary. I thought those flavors went well with the wine. I let this simmer on low heat, covered, for about 90 minutes. I then used some of the liquid to make a pan gravy. To do this, I mixed some flour with cold water and added it to the cooking liquid, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. While the oxtail was cooking I also whipped up some classic mashed potatoes and some roasted brussel sprouts. The oxtails were good, not great. For the most part, it was the same as a pot roast. There may be a bit more fat included, and I'm sure this lent some nice flavor to my gravy. There are also small bits of cartilage that offer some different texture, if you can stomach it (I can). Navigating the bones to get little morsels was not worth the work. I think I know why all the recipes I saw were for soups. The fat on the tail would provide lots of flavor and when stewed for long enough the meat should fall right off the bones. I'm for using all parts of the animal, and if I ever butcher my own animals I'll be sure to use even the tail, but at the price people are asking for oxtail, I think I'll pass from now on.
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