3 Simple Ways To Prepare Your Next Oxtail Dish

Oxtail is an incredibly silky and delicious cut of meat due to the fat content and the collagen that seeps from the bone marrow—which keeps it juicy and tender. While it may not be the most attractive cut, when cooked the right way, oxtail will fall right off the bone and absorb whatever flavor you cook it in. If you’re unfamiliar with this cut and want to step into its world of deliciousness, here are three simple ways to prepare oxtail.

Stew

Before the invention of slow cookers and pressure cookers, oxtail was cooked in a pot for hours to achieve that perfect fall-off-the-bone texture. No matter how you cook oxtail, you’ll first want to cut off the excess fat to prevent the dish from becoming too greasy. Then, brown the surface of the meat, and add onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and any other aromatics you like, with enough beef broth to cover the meat. You’ll want to cook the oxtails on low for about three to four hours, depending on how big the largest piece is.

Remember to occasionally check on the meat and add more beef broth if the liquid is too low. You can serve this dish over a creamy bed of garlicky mashed potatoes.

Slow Cooker

After you’ve trimmed off the excess fat and browned the outside in the slow cooker, you’ll want to deglaze the surface by adding a few tablespoons of beef broth. This will remove all the bits that have stuck to the metal. Create a quick sauce of sesame oil, soy sauce (or liquid amino acids as a gluten-free substitute), honey, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. After pouring the sauce on top, set the pressure cooker to low and cook for at least eight hours before removing the meat and straining the liquid into a saucepan.

Add a bit of cornstarch and a few tablespoons of cold water to the saucepan, and watch the gravy magic happen right before your eyes. You can pour the gravy on top of the meat and serve it with some roasted veggies.

Pressure Cooker

Much like the other cooking methods, you want to trim off any excess fat, brown the outside, and deglaze any leftover bits from the browning process. This time, use wine to deglaze the pan and sauté onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Submerge the meat in beef broth and add thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and rosemary to your liking. You’ll want to leave it to cook on high pressure for about an hour and let the pressure cooker release steam for about 15 minutes.

You can let the sauce reduce for another 15 minutes, or add cornstarch and put the pressure cooker on sauté if you like a thicker gravy. This dish is served best on cheesy polenta (or grits) for the ultimate indulgence.

With these three simple ways to prepare oxtail, you’re sure to impress on any date night or family dinner. And if you don’t know where to buy oxtail, Vincent’s Meat Market has you covered. We’ll ship fresh, quality cuts of oxtail right to your door.