Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

French

Queue de Boeuf Braisée

Complexity
involved
Serves
6
Prep
30 min
Cook
3 hr 30 min
Technique
Braise
Cut
Oxtail
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Ingredients

  • 1.8 kg (4 lb) oxtail, cut into segments
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil or lard
  • 150 g (5 oz) lardons or bacon, diced
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 500 ml (2 cups) red wine, such as Burgundy
  • 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
  • 1 bouquet garni (bay, thyme, parsley stems)
  • 200 g (7 oz) button mushrooms, halved
  • 12 pearl onions, peeled
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Steps

  1. Season the oxtail with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and sear in batches until dark brown, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
  2. Add the lardons and cook 5 minutes over medium heat until crisp. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook 8 minutes until golden.
  3. Stir in tomato paste and flour for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and deglaze, scraping the base. Boil 5 minutes to reduce by a third.
  4. Return the oxtail, add stock and bouquet garni. Bring to a bubble, cover, and braise in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 3 hours, until the meat is tender and pulling from the bone.
  5. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in the remaining oil over high heat for 5 minutes until golden. Brown the pearl onions in the same pan for 5 minutes.
  6. Add the mushrooms and onions to the casserole for the last 30 minutes.
  7. Skim the fat from the sauce. If thin, uncover and simmer on the stove 10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Finish with parsley.

Notes

  • Make ahead: like all braises it is better after a night in the fridge; lift the fat the next day. Keeps 3–4 days, or freezes 3 months; reheat until steaming hot.
  • Serving: buttered noodles, creamy mashed potato or a baguette.
  • Wine: a full-bodied red is the backbone of the sauce, so use one with good flavour.
  • Slow cooker: brown, deglaze and reduce the wine on the stove, then cook on low 8–9 hr. Add the mushrooms and onions for the last hour, and reduce the sauce on the stove.
  • Chef's touch: whisk 1 tbsp cold butter into the finished sauce off the heat for gloss and a silky edge.