PING Mad Max - Ox Tail Stew

DynaGreaseball · November 2007

Hey Max,[p]Quick question...[p]I've browned the ox tails, added the sauteed veggies and spices, poured in the wine and beef stock. I plan to simmer it all on the stove top for about 4 or 5 hours. Do I take off the top of the dutch oven and let it reduce by evaporation, or crack it just a bit, or do it with the top on tightly? Also, when do I take out the meat and remove it from the bones...toward the end of the cook when it should fall off, or before?[p]Thanks a ton, as usual.[p]

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2007

DynaGreaseball,
if you're doing it on the stove .. leave the top on. .. .but you should be doing it in either a 375 degree oven or egg ...[p]when i serve it, i put one or two tails, bone and all, on the plate.... with the veggies on the side. ..if you try to take the meat off all the bones prior to serving, you will just have a pile of shredded meat. . .its designed to be served up as the same sections you started with ...[p]

DynaGreaseball · November 2007

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]OK, I get it. In the oven it goes! Thought I'd try my second batch on the egg. By the way, my house smells so good right now![p]Thanks again.[p]

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2007

DynaGreaseball,
the idea is that it cooks in the oven as opposed to direct heat on the stove top....also, in the oven you probably want it covered. ...look forward to hearing how it turns out. . .btw, you have plenty of time now to go out and buy some good risotto rice and make a risotto to go with it .. .easy peasy and oh so good!!

DynaGreaseball · November 2007

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Mama's on her way home from the store with the rissoto right now. [p]Hey Max, one more question: I have a lot of liquid. Four cups broth, two cups red wine. Won't I end up with a soup and not a stew? Your stew doesn't look like it has nearly the amount of liquid I'll have. Or is that just the way it was plated?

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2007

DynaGreaseball,
you're right, this recipe really leaves you with a broth, not a gravy. ...frankly its pretty oily to make into gravy (i've heard some people refrigerate it over night to let the grease rise to the top, skim it, then re-heat it for serving), so i really serve it using a slotted spoon, then just spoon some of the liquid over everything (including the risotto) ....other thing you could do, is with 1 hour left, you could just add rice or orzo directly to the pot and let it absorb all the liquid. .. .its all good :-)

DynaGreaseball · November 2007

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]This is one incredible meal! I've never had it before tonight. What a surprise! I did two different dutch ovens--each a little different from the other. The veggies were sauteed separately for both batches.[p]The Lodge pot has whole tomatoes added, and just after browning the tails, I made a roux out of the drippings and yum-yum scrapings off the bottom of the pot, then added the stock.
[p] The flavor of the meat in both is wonderful, but the broth in the LeCrueset is very oily, just as you said it would be. We'll skim it off tomorrow morning after it spends the nite in the fridge.
[p]We couldn't wait to taste it, so we spooned off as much fat and oil off the top of the Lodge pot as we could, then made gravy and added it to the pot.[p]WOW! I just couldn't make myself wait for the risotto. We toasted and buttered some thick sliced sour dough bread and served it over that.
[p]Why would anyone ever want pot roast again, after tasting Ox Tail Stew? [p]Max, thanks so much for this one. It's one of my very favorites. The intensity of the flavor doesn't compare to anything else like it.

Fidel · November 2007

DynaGreaseball,[p]OK, that just looks too good.[p]I did a quick search of the archives but didn't find that recipe. Can you share here or email it to me please?[p]thanks.

DynaGreaseball · November 2007

Fidel,[p]Rod, Max has better photos and a little different recipe. I hope he posts them...especially his pix of the freshly butchered tails ready to cook.[p]Here's the recipe I used with a few variations. It came from the Web Site of the Northfield Inn (found in a hit from a google search):[p]Ingredients:
8 pounds ox tail (or beef tail or lamb neck)
8 cups beef stock
4 cups red wine
4 teaspoon salt
4 chopped onions
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup shallots (minced)
4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup celery (chopped)
6 carrots (cleaned and cut up) [p]Braise to brown in olive oil the 8 pounds ox tail, beef tail or lamb neck. When fully browned add beef stock, red wine, and salt. Saute separately the onions, garlic, shallots, thyme, parsley, celery and carrots. Add sauteed vegetables to meat mixture, stir to blend, pour into casserole dish and bake for approximately 2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with black bread and butter over white rice.[p](I didn't use any parsley. The mixture cooked for a total of 4 hours for me, and the meat was perfect. I began by simmering everything for about an hour, then I moved it all to a 375° oven for another 3 hours.) Imagine how good it would be with a little smoke flavor from the Egg.[p]Rod, I promise you'll like this one![p]

PING Mad Max - Ox Tail Stew

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