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Oxtail is the culinary name for the tail of cattle. The weight of such a product reaches 5 pounds, and the length depends on the method of cutting. Butchers remove the skin from the tail and cut it into smaller pieces for sale.
This product is rich in gelatin, iron, saturated fat and vitamin C. You can choose any convenient way to prepare oxtails, but the traditional technology basing on baking.
What Is Oxtail?
Oxtail is the extreme meat part of beef cuts. Just a few years ago, chefs considered this product unsuitable for consumption and did not include it in the menu of expensive restaurants. However, now everything has changed radically.
With the help of marinades, sauces, and proper baking, you can make this meat a real delicacy. Also, the correct cooking technology helps to reveal the unusual taste of the product. It resembles the flavor of lightly fried salted bacon with spices.
Beneficial properties
Oxtails are not only a soul food, but also, according to nutritional information, can play an important role in human health. Oxtail cuts have several positive effects on the body:
- act as a preventive agent for cardiovascular diseases
- restore bone and muscle tissue
- prevent the development of anemia
- reduce the risk of gastrointestinal diseases
- reduce the risk of obesity
What temperature to bake oxtails
The cooking temperature of oxtail depends on the chosen technology. The ideal consistency of the product is tender meat that easily separates from the bone. To achieve this result, use slow and constant heat.
In the case of cooking on the stove, the ideal cooking time is 2-3 hours over low heat. This method of preparation is the fastest, but not always effective. You can also cook oxtails in the oven. Then the prep time will take at least 4 hours.
If you want to cook the product faster – use a Dutch oven, microwave or grill.
How long does it take for oxtails to get tender?
This meat product has a viscous and very dense structure. It resembles lard but does not melt from exposure to high temperatures. To soften the bull’s tail, subject the dish to a long heat treatment at medium temperatures. The least softening time of this meat is 2 hours.
However, to get a perfectly gentle product, do not be lazy to spend about 4 hours. Marinades – soy sauce, sour cream, and various oils also play a significant role. They break down tough meat fibers and make oxtails soft.
Do you have to brown oxtails before cooking?
Many professional chefs advise pre-frying oxtails before baking. When the product turns brown, you can remove it from the pan and place it in the oven. Pre-frying helps to clog the internal juices of the product.
To brown the oxtails, fry the meat in a pan skillet for 5-7 minutes on each side. Add oil to form a golden-brown crust. You can skip this step in baking the product, but then the meat will release the internal juice into the baking tray and become dry.
Can you soak oxtails overnight?
Is it possible to reduce the long process of baking oxtails? Professional chefs recommend soaking the meat product in cold water overnight. This will help soften the product’s fibers and make it more tender.
In the morning, wash the oxtails, cut along the vertebral discs, and boil a little in a large saucepan. With this pre-treatment, the subsequent baking in the oven will be faster and will take only 1.5 hours.
Oven-baked oxtails and gravy
This cooking method will make the oxtails tender and juicy. To make a recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- oxtails – 500 grams
- olive oil – to taste
- garlic – 3 cloves
- seasoning salt – to taste
- red wine – to taste
- spices – to taste
The technology of preparation:
- Make oxtail preparations: rub them with enough salt to cover the meat on all sides. Leave the product in a glass bowl at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Rinse the salt from the meat with running water.
- Preheat the oven and a heavy heat-resistant pan.
- Preheat the oil. Fry the chopped garlic, stirring frequently until it begins to brown.
- Add the pieces of the oxtail to the pan skillet and cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Fill a baking dish with beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Use enough red wine to cover the top of the meat by 3 cm.
- Add rosemary, thyme, oregano, and tarragon.
- Cover the baking pan and put it in the preheated oven for 3-4 hours.
- Sprinkle with chopped green onions and cook for another 30 minutes.
How long to bake oxtails in the oven
You can also cook oxtails in the oven without adding gravy. However, the cooking time of such a dish will be very long – at least 5 hours. To repeat the recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- bull tails – 2 pieces
- onion – 2 pieces
- salt – to taste
- carrots or parsnips– 3-4 pieces
- pepper – to taste
- garlic – 4-5 cloves
Cooking technology:
- Clean the tails from films and streaks. Divide the vertebrae into the desired portions, season with tablespoon salt and teaspoon pepper.
- Place the parts of the tails in the baking sleeve and leave them for half an hour.
- Chop the vegetables, add salt and spices.
- Tie the sleeve on both sides and make a hole at the top. Place in a preheated oven for at least 4 hours.
Jamaican oxtails in the oven
This is an absolutely wonderful stew with tender braised oxtail, stewed vegetables, and buttered beans!
Enjoy Jamaican oxtail as a stew or serve it on a pillow of boiled white rice! To make the recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- beef oxtail – 2 pieces
- soy sauce – one tablespoon
- Worcestershire sauce – 1 tablespoon
- brown sugar – one tablespoon
- salt – 1 tablespoon
- garlic powder – 2 teaspoons
- black pepper – 1 teaspoon
- paprika – 1 teaspoon
- cayenne pepper – 1/2 teaspoon
- vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
- carrot – 2 pieces
- celery – 1 piece
- yellow carrot – 1 piece
- beef broth – 3 cups
- thyme – 1 sprig
- bay leaf – 1 piece
- buttered beans – 1 can
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Prepare the oxtail by washing it and blotting with paper towels.
- Place the product in a medium-sized bowl.
- Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, bell pepper, brown sauce, and teaspoon ground cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Heat a large frying pan or Dutch oven. Add vegetable oil there.
- Fry the seasoned oxtail in heated oil for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the browned bull’s tail to a plate and set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and fry the carrots, celery, onion, pepper, and garlic. After softening, add thyme and bay leaf to the broth.
- Bring the broth and vegetables to a slow boil and put the oxtail back in there.
- Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 3 hours.
Southern oxtails in the oven
Another oxtail recipe in the oven is Southern. To make this recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- beef oxtails – 500 g
- flour – 1/4 cups
- Worcestershire sauce – 2 tbsp
- kosher salt – 2 tsp
- freshly ground black pepper – 1 tsp
- olive oil – 3/4 cup
- beef broth – 3 cups
- yellow onion – 1 large
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Rub kosher salt and black pepper into the meat.
- Pour Worcestershire sauce over the oxtails.
- Sprinkle the product with 1/4 cup flour.
- Pour the olive oil into a large iron skillet and heat it up. Fry the oxtails a little bit.
- Add the hot meat broth to the pan. Reduce the heat from medium to high.
- Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan.
- Place the contents of the pan in a slow cooker for 8 hours.
Baking oxtails with vegetables
You can also bake oxtails with vegetables. This dish will be a great addition to a family dinner. To cook the recipe, prepare the ingredients:
- carrot – 2 pieces
- turnip – 2 pieces
- pumpkin – 800 grams
- garlic – 1 head
- olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- stew of oxtails – 800 g
- sour cream – 60 g
- ground breadcrumbs – 3 tablespoons
- rosemary – 1 sprig
- salt and pepper – to taste
The technology of preparation:
- Peel and coarsely chop the vegetables.
- Cut the garlic heads in half.
- Put the vegetables on a heat-resistant baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes.
- Add the stew of oxtails to the vegetables and warm it up. Season with sour cream and breadcrumbs.
Cooking Oxtails in the Oven
You can also cook stewed oxtails in the oven. This cooking technology will allow you to achieve the desired tenderness and juiciness of the meat product. To implement the recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- oxtail – 1.6 kg
- olive oil – 20 ml
- onion – 80 gr
- garlic – 20 gr
- carrot – 320 gr
- canned tomatoes – 450 gr
- broth – 180 ml
- ginger powder – 5 gr
- salt – to taste
- cayenne pepper – 1.5 gr
The technology of preparation:
- Wash the oxtails and cut them into large cubes. Dry with paper towels, removing excess moisture.
- Cut the onion, garlic, and carrot into large pieces.
- Put the cauldron on medium heat, heat the oil in it.
- Put the pieces of the oxtail in the heated oil and fry on both sides in batches in one layer. Put the resulting product on a separate plate.
- Place the vegetables in the cauldron and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add all the necessary spices to them.
- Pour the broth into the cauldron, add the oxtails there. Place in the oven for 2 hours.
Side dishes with oxtails
You can prepare many side dishes with oxtails for your family dinners. Professional chefs advise combining the product with vegetables: potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, and garlic. This side dish will be nutritious and healthy.
Vegetable stew with the addition of oxtails is also a good option. Typical combinations with pasta are not suitable for such a product, it is better to use rice.
If you want to increase the satiety of your side dish – add baked or mashed potatoes.
What to serve with
Professional chefs recommend serving oxtail stew with a sauce based on veal tail broth. You can also serve a dish with vegetables:
- carrots,
- onions
- eggplants
This combination of products will help you replenish your daily value of essential vitamins and minerals.
The Japanese prefer to eat oxtails with rice and hot sauces. In this combination, you will not distinguish the product from the exquisite pieces of meat. Pay attention to the proper food serving – the oxtails should be hot and poured with a suitable sauce.
Storage rules
Before implementing any oxtails recipe, you should know the storage rules well. The maximum shelf life of beef tails in the refrigerator is no more than 2 days, and in the freezer – up to 4 months. Experts advise buying short ribs to store the product longer.
You will be able to cut off the tails immediately before the process of preparing the dish.
There is another nutrition advice – freeze the product for a few days for longer preservation of all beneficial substances.
Seasonings
Any seasonings and herbs for meat are suitable for oxtails. For beef, the best options are parsley, basil, thyme, and ginger. Coriander, rosemary, and nutmeg are suitable for pork.
For chicken, professional chefs recommend choosing thyme, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and curry. You can also decorate cooked oxtails with fresh herbs. The taste of the seasoning should not overlap the rich meat taste. To prevent this case, carefully dose the spices.
Marinades
Many supermarkets offer their services for the sale of ready-made meat marinades. However, to achieve the perfect consistency and taste of oxtails, make the filling yourself. In this case, marinades based on soy sauce, sour cream, and various oils are perfect.
Add spices to give the product a rich taste in advance. Keep the oxtails in the marinade for at least 5-6 hours so that the meat acquires the necessary tenderness.
Closing
Oxtail is a cut of the skinned cattle’s tail. It includes the tail bone, a small amount of meat, and connective tissue. You can prepare delicious treats according to oxtail recipes from that meat product.
A large amount of collagen and a small caloric content make beef tail very beneficial for human health.
Experiment with this unusual dish and make culinary masterpieces!