COOKBOOK: The Australian All Colour Cook Book
Before you begin to cook your oxtail, be sure to have three hours in which the meat requires to be in the oven. Anything less will mean it’s not cooked nor tender. Oxtail doesn’t carry too much meat and it the meat doesn’t peel off the bone, you’ll be left with a dinner only edible for the dog! The sauce in this dish is absolutely delicious. Served with rice was just perfect.
RECIPE
Serves 4
2 small oxtails cut up, about 1.5kg (ask the butcher to cut it up in pieces for you)
30ml plain flour
Salt and pepper
40g butter
2 large onions, sliced
900ml beef stock
150ml red wine
380g canned chopped tomato
1 tablespoon lemon rind
2 bay leaves
4 carrots, thick sliced
400g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
chopped parsley
Coat the oxtail in the flour, season with salt and pepper.Heat the frying pan , add butter and brown the oxtail pieces. Remove from the frying pan.
In the same frying pan, add the onions and fry until just soft, add stock, wine, canned chopped tomato. Add lemon rind, bay leaves and season well. Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes.
In casserole dish add the oxtail, add the onion mixture. Cover with foil. Bake in oven (180C) - 2hrs and 30mins.
Take the dish out carefully, add the carrots and pumpkin, parsley. Back in over for another 1hr . Remove bay leaves before serving.
Boil rice and serve oxtail on a bed of rice
PS the problem with oxtail is that it releases lots of fats. You can allow it to cool over night, remove all the fat which rises to the top . You now have casserole with a nice gravy underneath with lots of flavour.
MEAT AND VEGETABLE COOKING TIME:
Oxtail in oven (moderate 170C) for 2hrs and 30mins (covered)
Uncooked vegies - carrots and pumpkin in after that and bake for a further 1hour (uncovered)
Oxtail in oven (moderate 170C) for 3hrs (covered) Cooked vegies - carrots and pumpkin (not too soft, just firm) boiled or microwaved.
Add to the casserole and bake for a further 30mins (uncovered)
