Oxtail is good for the soul
#8
  Re: (...)
It is cool enough here that the fall dishes are well under way. So tonight come with me as we explore the wonderful dish that can be OXTAIL! That is right, natures fly swatter, the tail end of the bovine, god gave the
animal a buttt cover and when cooked correctly it is a fantastic dish!  And for you budget minded, oxtail is darn near free compared to other parts of the bovine. First a look at the hanging meat that made this oxtail. My son raises them, and once they have the dress whites on they are hard to beat when their body parts hit the heat!

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I love looking at our beef hanging in the locker.  Fully inspected, the shop we use is one of the few that will let me dry age for the length of time I want to with my own stuff. The stuff my son sells commercial has a few
modified rules. And you can see that wonderful oxtail hanging there. That is what we are exploring tonight.

Grab oxtail out of the freezer, or next trip to the market purchase some oxtail, it is cheap. I let mine slack overnight in the reefer.

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While the oxtail is coming up to room temperature, prepare whatever it is you like for a base with your oxtail. I am going to do a modified braise in a nice syrah from <a href=" Two Rivers Winery so that means new celery and some Mayan Sweet onions. If it were February or March I would use Maui Sweets, but this time of the year it is Mayans. I like a nice dice on the background vegetables.

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I have also tossed in a little thyme and a hint of cracked fennel. Plus salt and pepper. At this point the oxtail are ready to hit the sauté pan and get to browning up. I like to see them seared on all sides just in the base ingredients, then I will add in the rest of my recipe flavors.

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While the oxtail is browning I chopped and dice the garden vegetables I will be using to accompany the dish. I had a great crop of Italian green beans this year as well as excellent carrots. I did not grow corn this year, but canned a lot of Olathe sweet when it came in to season. I can my corn southwest style. I lump that into my crock pot that will handle the cooking while I am gone to work.

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While they are resting, I finish my braise preparation, adding in a couple cups or so of the Syrah as well as some basil thyme tomatoes I put up. This will then braise in the saute for almost two hours while I feed horses and get ready for work.

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After the time in the oven braising I add it to the crock pot on top the garden vegetables. And when I get home it will have cooked it then moved automatically to 142 F hold. Bake off a French loaf and plate it up. Nice now that the weather is cooler.

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Enjoy this with a nice deep red wine. I did a long grain brown rice in the steamer for the starch.

'Til we talk again, find something the butcher can not sell and make it into a great dish. You will eat better and cheaper if you are willing to get outside the comfort zone and experiment a little with meat cuts.

Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
Chef de Cuisine
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

USMC Sgt 1979-1985
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#9
  Re: Oxtail is good for the soul by bbally (It is cool enough he...)
Your pictorials are really nice and inspiring me to try some new things. Thanx!
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#10
  Re: Re: Oxtail is good for the soul by HomeCulinarian (Your pictorials are ...)
It's amazing how many people scoff at oxtail, especially with the full, rich flavour it has. I'll have to see where oxtail may be available here. Tripe is readily available, but I don't really care for it that much. Oxtail, on the other hand, is a treat.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#11
  Re: Oxtail is good for the soul by bbally (It is cool enough he...)
I used to eat oxtail and enjoyed it. I learned that in England scientists determined that their "mad cow disease" was traced back to eating brains and the marrow from the spinal cord--the tail is an extension of the spine --I've been a little afraid since. Can anybody comment on this? I still eat osso buco, but it's the shank--love the marrow and I would love to be comfortable with oxtail again.
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
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#12
  Re: Re: Oxtail is good for the soul by Old Bay (I used to eat oxtail...)
Quote:

I used to eat oxtail and enjoyed it. I learned that in England scientists determined that their "mad cow disease" was traced back to eating brains and the marrow from the spinal cord--the tail is an extension of the spine --I've been a little afraid since. Can anybody comment on this? I still eat osso buco, but it's the shank--love the marrow and I would love to be comfortable with oxtail again.




This is a concern. BSE can exist in the oxtail. Since I raise my own beef I don't worry about it. And BSE is very rare to begin with, followed by BSE in the human form is even rarer. 153 cases worldwide in the last 15 years. So I still order it even when I am out at a restaurant if they offer it.
Chef de Cuisine
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

USMC Sgt 1979-1985
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#13
  Re: Re: Oxtail is good for the soul by bbally ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
Hey, I play the odds too--I eat raw oysters--probably more risky than oxtails and just as good!!
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
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#14
  Re: Re: Oxtail is good for the soul by Old Bay (Hey, I play the odds...)
Yes at some point you just have to say, well the taste out weighs the associated risks.
Chef de Cuisine
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

USMC Sgt 1979-1985
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