My childhood friend Alexia is visiting from Paris. She and her husband Olivier are here in the Bay Area on their honeymoon. They’re spending the day in San Francisco and I offered to keep an eye on their daughter Alice. Baby Aria and Alice are the same age and they get along as well as their mothers do. I wanted to make sure they both have a rich, nutritious meal that is at easy for them to chew and enjoy at the same time. An oxtail stew seemed to fit the bill.
First, I braised the oxtails in good quality drinking wine (the alcohol will cook off), cooked them with lima beans and thickened the gravy with whole wheat flour. I didn’t serve the oxtails with the bone-in to be safe. The meat can easily be removed from the bones. And I paired them with green peas and purple pomme puree (mashed potatoes).
Taking care of 2 toddlers is a lot easier than I anticipated. Both are foodies and enjoyed finishing their meal with airy chocolate mousse. Alice and Aria were satisfied and full. I’m very happy and am hoping Alexia and Olivier are having a blast in the city!
1. Info for Oxtail Stew Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 4
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Oxtail Stew Recipe
- 1 dozen large oxtails
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 1 daikon radish, peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 10-inch celery stalks, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 cup lima beans, thawed
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 2 cups white wine
- 2 cups homemade beef stock, (or 16-ounce can)
3. Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a pot, soak the oxtails in about a quart of water with 1 tablespoon of salt overnight. The next day, rinse the bones, place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water. Rinse the meat under running water and set aside. Pat dry. Sprinkle with baking powder.
- Transfer the oxtails to a baking pan. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 275°F and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Preheat a slow cooker (set on low mode, cook time “2 hours”). Note: You could also make the stew in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook until the meat is tender.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, daikon radish, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves. Cook on high heat until slightly golden. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- In the pan, add the garlic and cloves. Cook until slightly golden. Add ½ to 1 cup of water. Scrape the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon (called deglazing). Once the liquid is evaporated, add the oxtails, wine, turmeric, beef stock and turmeric. Bring to a boil, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Season with salt.
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid and let simmer for 2 hours (or 3 hours on the stove). Return to the heavy-bottomed pan.
- In a bowl, combine the flour with ½ cup of water. Stir well. Add the mixture to the gravy. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until thickened. You could add more flour if you like a thicker consistency. Add the lima beans and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve the meat warm with green peas, mashed potatoes or pasta.
- Bon appétit!
- Note: The stew tastes even better the following day!
4. Tips and advices:
- I used white wine because we opened a bottle the night before but since I don’t drink wine, I decided to cook with it.
- You can easily find oxtails in any Asian markets and the meat department of many supermarkets.
