Discover the art of slow-cooking oxtail, transforming this once-meat scrap humble cut into a tender collagen-rich goodness. Oxtail is a cow’s tail, so it tastes like beef but is more intense in flavor, and has alot of connective tissues so it will give the broth a thick and silky texture.
The best and tenderest oxtail needs slow cooking and patience, but in the end, it is totally worth it. It is like Osso Bucco, a beef shank, also slow-cooked but mostly braised with veggies.
Oxtail is not that rich in meat content, more like a short rib in texture. Or just think of it as a short rib with more collagen and a luxurious melting fattier mouthfeel.
Not only slow cooking it, but you can also utilize oxtails by grinding them up to make burger patties and thus burgers! You get burgers with a unique flavor profile and texture in a good way.
Oxtail has been gaining popularity and is marked up pretty high, just a Kg of this costs KSh 817 ($ 6.24), and this was on sale in a third-world country; Kenya in Africa.
Initially, it used to be a low-grade cut and a scrap piece that was given away for less than $2 but not anymore, the internet makes traditionally peasant dishes suddenly trendier
It is now expensive because its demand is more than the supply, remember it is only one tail per cow slaughtered!
For this recipe, we will be slow cooking it in a pressure cooker but on the slow cooker function for 3 hours, a dedicated slow cooker will even do a better job.
Ingredients
- 1Kg, Oxtail pieces
- 2 Large, Tomatoes
- 1 Large, Onion
- 4 Cups, Beef Broth (or 3 Beef Cubes dissolved in 4 cups water)
- Bunch, Coriander (Cilantro)
- Bunch, Spring Onions
- 100ml, Vinegar (Optional)
- 1 Medium, Bell Pepper (Optional)
- 1 Lemon, (Optional)
- 3 Tbs Vegetable or Canola Oil
- Black Pepper
- Salt
Procedure
1. Start off by optionally cleaning the pieces( if you normally wash your meat) under running water, then dip into vinegar and lemon juice mixture to further wash your cuts if they have alot of blood, I skipped this step because my oxtail was cleaned prior.
2. Pat dry the pieces, add the oil to the pot, and sear on medium-high heat, till browned on all sides, the purpose of this step is to make a crust on the outside, this will take about 5 minutes to achieve.
You can optionally marinate the pieces in soy sauce salt mixture ahead of time for like two hours to help with an even deeper browning,
3. After searing is done to your desired perfection, take off the heat and rest,
meanwhile proceed to add your broth to either a Dutch oven, a slow cooker, or a crockpot on the slow cooking function.
I used a crockpot for my case, and since I didn’t have beef broth, I dissolved 3 beef cubes into 4 cups of water and then added the oxtail pieces, adjusted for more salt, and closed the crockpot.
4. Set a timer to 3 hours on slow cooking, if you are using a stovetop then make sure the heat is on low.
5. 2 hours later, add the vegetables and aromatics as desired, then cook for an extra hour, when done, add freshly chopped cilantro and don’t serve yet, but let the dish rest for another hour to develop flavors fully.
6. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, naan or chapatis
Slow Cooked Oxtail Stew (Instant Pot)
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker/ Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Oxtail pieces
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- 1 Large Onion
- 4 Cups Beef Broth or 3 Beef Cubes dissolved in 4 cups water
- Bunch Coriander Cilantro
- Bunch Spring Onions
- 100 ml Vinegar Optional
- 1 Medium Bell Pepper Optional
- 1 Lemon Optional
- 3 Tbs Vegetable or Canola Oil
- Black Pepper
- Salt
Instructions
- Optionally clean the oxtail pieces under running water. Dip into a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice for further cleaning if needed. Pat dry the pieces.
- Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Sear oxtail pieces until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. This step creates a crust on the outside for added flavor.
- Rest the seared oxtail while preparing the broth. Add beef broth (or dissolved beef cubes in water) to a Dutch oven, slow cooker, or crockpot on the slow cooking function.
- Add the oxtail pieces to the broth. Adjust for salt if needed. Cover and cook for 3 hours on slow cooking function or on low heat if using stovetop.
- After 2 hours, add vegetables and aromatics as desired. Cook for an additional hour.
- Once done, add freshly chopped cilantro. Allow the dish to rest for another hour to fully develop flavors.
- Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, rice, naan, or chapatis.
Notes
- Marinating oxtail pieces in a soy sauce salt mixture ahead of time can deepen browning.
- Slow cooking ensures exceptional flavor and tenderness, with collagen contributing to a rich, sticky texture.
- Oxtail used to be a humble cut but has become expensive due to increased demand and limited supply, as it’s only one piece per cow slaughtered.
What Does Oxtail Taste Like?
Oxtail flavor is essentially just like regular beef cuts, but with a more intense and extra beefy flavor and slightly on the fatty side.
it shares similarities with short rib but with an additional 80% more fat and a somewhat more tendony texture. If you can appreciate slimy textures, the flavor might be quite enjoyable, accompanied by a gelatinous texture.
Slow cooking ensures it is exceptionally flavorful and more tender than pulled pork, with the added bonus of collagen contributing to a sumptuously rich and sticky texture in any dish it graces.
Why is Oxtail Expensive?
Oxtail used to be considered humble food, but nowadays, it’s become quite pricey. The cost is a bit hard to justify as – it’s essentially a leftover piece of meat, mostly bone.
The price has been pushed up over the years by the rise in popularity, (increased demand), while the oxtail supply has been low since it is only a single piece from an entire cow slaughtered.
Links
Melted Perfection Grilled Cheese: All You Need to Know
The Correct Way to Cook Indomie Mi Goreng
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