Oxtail braised in burgundy

1 large oxtail, cut into 2 inch pieces
4tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs of thyme
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
2tbsp plain flour
1.2 liters/2pints beef stock
125g/4oz bacon lardons
175g/6oz button onions, peeled
2tbsp sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade
1 bottle of good red wine
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
6 black peppercorns



Place the oxtail in a large shallow dish, pour over the wine and add all the other marinade ingredients. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge over night.
Next day, drain the oxtail, reserving the marinade, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan, add the oxtail and brown all over until almost caramelized. Strain the vegetables from the marinade, and add to the pan with the thyme and parsley. Stir the flour in, then gradually add the strained marinade and the stock. Cover tightly and leave to simmer for about five hours, until the oxtail is so tender it is almost falling off the bone.
Remove from heat and remove the oxtail to a plate and keep warm. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, pressing the vegetables against the side of the pan to release the flavor.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and fry until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the button onions to the pan and cook for 10 min, until golden all over. Sprinkle over the sugar and cook for a further 5 min, until caramelized and tender.
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Strain through a sieve and return to the pan, then add the bacon and onions, and heat through gently. Serve the oxtail with sauce on a pile of creamy potatoes.

I had never even eaten oxtail before, much less cooked it. I chose this recipe because I figured anything braised in wine for five hours is going to come out tasty. Also, I love bacon as an ingredient. This was from a book called Tony and Giorgio.

This was so unbelievably good. Seriously. I love oxtail! We all agreed that it rocks! The meat comes out so tender and flavorful, and the sauce is so good you could drink it. The bacon and onions at the end really put it over the top and make it perfect. I served this with couscous instead of potato. It was a great way to get up all the sauce.

The other good thing is that oxtail is dead cheap. You can get enough for six people for a few bucks.

My dad said that his grandmother always used to say “the closer to the bone the sweeter the meat. She was totally right. I would eat this again and again.

By the way, I know I’ve been a bit remiss about my posting, but I have an empty house now (my dad and stepmom have gone back home). So hopefully over this weekend, I will get a chance to do some catch up posting.

Guys, if you are reading this, we miss you!