Red Wine Braised Oxtail

Oxtail was not something I liked when I lived in Dominica. People around me raved about Stewed Oxtail all the time, but I thought it was too chewy and way too much work to eat that little bit of meat on the bone....Well that was until I discovered braising. Now, this is not how Oxtail would be prepared in a typical West Indian home, HOWEVER,  this method leads to a simply divine, mouth watering delicacy!

Ingredients

3 lbs oxtail

1 bottle of dry red wine

 Salt and pepper

4 tbsp butter, divided

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots,  chopped

2 celery stalk, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Water (or beef broth)

5 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

1 bunch of parsley stems

1 bunch curly parsley for garnish (optional)

*Preheat oven to 325°F

Preparation

• Remove excess fat from oxtails, season with salt and pepper and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Boil wine in a sauce pan until reduced in half.
• In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp of butter over high heat.
• Place half of the oxtails in the pot in a single layer and brown on all sides, remove.
• Place another tbsp of butter in the pot and brown the second half of oxtails, remove.
• Reduce heat to medium, add 1 tbsp of butter, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft.
• Place oxtails, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley stems on top of vegetables.
• Pour in reduced wine and enough water (or beef broth) to cover the oxtails. Stir and bring to a boil.
• Cover and place in the oven for 3 hours or until meat is tender but not falling off the bone.
• Remove oxtails from pot and place in a dish (like the one pictured). Garnish with curly parsley.
• With  slotted spoon, remove veggies and place atop oxtails.

For Gravy

• Pour remaining liquid into a medium saucepan and boil until thick and shiny, whisk in remaining 1 tbsp of butter.
• Pour over oxtails in the dish and serve hot