How to make Braised Oxtail, with Root Vegetables and Sage

Braised Oxtail is my idea of heaven on a cold winter’s day. So, with the frost on the ground and minus five on the thermometer I decided the time was right to get cooking.

For me Braised Oxtail is the pinnacle of meat eating. Its not difficult to cook, but it does take a little time. If the idea of having the oven on for such a long cook, use a slow cooker to do most of the cooking. That leaves only the start and finishing to be done on the hob.

If you like meat, have a look at our Food Files page on British Beef Cuts for more exiting cut and joints to try.

You Will Need.

Braised Oxtail, with root vegetables and sage.

Serves 3-4

Oven Temperature 150c

Finishing Vegetables.

Firstly, we start with the Finishing Vegetables.

Peel the shallots been careful not to remove the root. Remove the carrots tops then lightly scrape the skin. Peel the swede and celeriac and cut into 1.5cm cubes allowing roughly three per person. I used a melon baller on the swede just to improve the presentation.

Oxtail has such a meaty flavour it benefits from using lots of vegetables. To help things along we gently cook the finishing vegetables in the beef stock first, so all their flavour compliments the finished sauce.

Cook the vegetables in the stock until just tender, then strain keeping the stock. The sage leaves and parsley will be used later. Put the vegetables to one side for later use.

Making a Bouquet Garni.

This is an old but very convenient method of using herbs on the stem in a liquid and removing them without difficulty.

You will need a length of cotton butchers’ twine, DON’T use nylon string as it will affect the flavour of the sauce. You need two short lengths of celery, an outer leaf of leek cut the same length as the celery and the herbs you are using. For us its thyme and bay leaf.

Place the herbs into the depression in a stick of celery, then place the second stick of celery on top. Wrap this parcel using the leek then tie the whole thing together with the string.

Chefs often leave a long piece of string on the bouquet garni after tying. This can be left hanging or tied to the lid and make removal of the herbs easy.

Cooking the Braised Oxtail.

Peel the carrots for the braise and roughly cut into 3cm sections. Repeat that for the onions and give the garlic a bash to bruise it, but don’t peel it.

Put a large heavy casserole on to a high heat, and when hot add the oil into the pan and brown the oxtail on all sides. You may need to do this in two stages. When browned all over lift each section out onto a plate and when all the meat is browned add the vegetables without the garlic to the pan and brown well without burning. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander to allow any excess fat to drain off. Once drained return the vegetables to the pan and place back on the heat.

Adding the Tomato Puree.

Now it’s time to add the tomato puree. To get the best flavour for the puree and take away the raw taste we need to caramelise it. As the vegetables are frying, add the puree and mix into the vegetables. Keep stirring the pan keeping the red wine ready at hand and once the tomato puree and browned slightly add the wine. Remember, there is a difference between caramel and carbon!

Cooking the Braised Oxtail.

Tip the wine into the hot pan scraping the base of the pan with the spatula to lift the caramelised juices into the wine.

Add the stock the vegetables were cooked in and bring to the simmer. Add the bruised garlic, passata, and bouquet garni. Return the oxtail to the pan along with and juices sitting on the plate and return to the simmer.

You can now transfer the braise to a pre-heated slow cooker to cook for about 5 hours Alternatively over the surface of the meat firstly with a disc of paper then place a tight-fitting lid on the casserole and cook in the oven at 140-150c for roughly three hours.

Fishing the Braised Oxtail Sauce.

When the oxtail is cooked the meat should be tender and almost falling off the bone. When ready remove from the heat and let the contents cool a little.

Carefully lift the joints of meat out of the sauce then strain the liquid through a fine strainer, lightly pressing the vegetable to get every last drop of juices into the sauce. Discard the vegetables and leave the sauce to stand for 10 minutes.

Removing the fat.

Using a small ladle carful skim off any fat sitting on the surface of the sauce. If you don’t have a ladle small enough an old tablespoon bent at 90˚ works well.

Give the pan a wipe out with kitchen paper, then return the sauce to the pan and bring back to the simmer. Let the sauce reduce in volume to thicken tasting as you go. The tomato puree and passata will provide some natural thickening. If you need to thicken the sauce, further use a little diluted arrowroot. DON’T use cornflour, it will spoil the clarity and gloss of the sauce.

When you are happy with the taste and consistency of the sauce return the meat to the pan and keep warm.

Try This Trick.

Are struggling with a sauce or stock that has meat fat on it like a roast or braise?

Drop a couple of large ice cubes into the liquid. They need to be well above the level of the liquid so it may help to pour the liquid into a tray before adding the ice.

As you move the ice around the tray the fat will set and adhere to the ice, which can then be removed easily. Yes, a little water will dissolve into the sauce, but this is easily evaporated later by simmering.

To Serve the Braised Oxtail.

Heat a shallow pan and add 3 tbsp of olive oil and heat. Carefully fry the sage leaves in the oil, they will sizzle and bubble, becoming crisp. When crisp, lift each leaf out of the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

When all the leaves are fried remove 80% of the remaining oil from the pan. Take the finishing vegetables, and but the shallots in half longways through the root. Add the vegetable sot the hot pan and roast them in the hot sage oil.

When the vegetables are a nice golden-brown lift them out of the pan onto kitchen paper to drain well.

Take your serving dish and using a pair of tongs, lift the sections of hot oxtail on to the dish.

Strain the sauce one last time, then pour the finished sauce over the joints. Arrange the finishing vegetables around the meat and add the sage leaves. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with mashed potato and green vegetables. Make sure to check out our post on How to make Perfect Mashed Potatoes to get the very best partner to your oxtail.

Enjoy life!

John.