Braised Oxtail

Braised Oxtail
Serves 4

(this dish takes a long time in the oven, so  why not double
the recipe and freeze half)

1kg Oxtail (ask the butcher to prepare it for you, and tie it into 4 bundles.
Plain flour for dusting
Sunflower oil or rape seed oil
2 Red Onions, peeled and cut into ¼’s or 8 shallots, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled cut into 4 chunks each
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 4 chunks each (remove core if woody)
Celeriac, enough to cut 8 chunks the size of carrot and parsnip
Celery, 2 sticks cut into 2
8 cloves garlic, peeled (optional)
500 – 750ml of beer or red wine
Beef stock or water
3 bay leaves
Good sprigs of thyme, sage rosemary (optional)
1 tsp ground allspice
1tsp ground black pepper / 1 tsp salt
1 tsp juniper berries (optional)
1 tbs chopped parsley

1.  Coat the oxtail bundles in flour.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the oxtails quickly on all sides, remove oxtail and place in casserole dish large enough to place all other ingredients.
3.  Add some of the stock or water to pan that the oxtail was browned in to to deglaze.
4. Add all ingredients, except parsley, mix around, place on firm lid or cover v tightly with tinfoil.
5. Place in oven on gas ½ or 120 C. Cook for a minimum of 5 hours (up to 10).
6. It is important that the dish is sealed to avoid evaporation of liquid and drying out of dish.
7. Remove from oven, the meat should look as if it is coming away from the bone.
8. If you have time, cool and chill, remove fat from top of dish and reheat thoroughly.
9. If you don’t have time try to skim some of the fat off the top of the dish. Just before serving stir in parsley.

This is delicious served with mash or crusty bread.