I love it when my local grocery stores starts to stock something new, especially in the meat department!!  A few weeks ago, I walked into the store and my eye was automatically drawn to the smallish packages of oxtails.  I have started seeing oxtails more and more on restaurants’ menus but I had yet to see them at the grocery store, so as soon as I did I grabbed way more than I needed and put the rest in my the freezer.  Living in New England, I have learned to love to make different kinds of stews and this recipe will definitely keep you warm on very cold nights!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 pounds beef oxtails, patted dry
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 2 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more as needed
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 shallots, peeled, trimmed and sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch-thick
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bottle (750 milliliters) dry red wine
• 2 rosemary branches
• 2 bay leaves

Recipe

Mix the ground allspice, salt and pepper and cover the oxtails and marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours but overnight is always better.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Take the oxtails out of the fridge and bring to room temperature.  Using a large dutch oven turn the heat on to high and add the olive oil to the pan until the oil shimmers.  Add the oxtails to the pan and brown on all sides.  Do not crowd the pan, so you may have to cook in batches.  After all the oxtails have been seared, remove the meat from the pan and saute the onions, carrots and shallots until the onions are translucent.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the tomato paste and cook until the paste turns into a darker color and then add rosemary and bay leaves.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine and then add the beef broth.  Add the oxtails back to the dutch oven and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, put the lid on and put in the oven.  Cook the oxtails for at least 3 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.

Remove the oxtails from the dutch oven and pull the meat off the bones.  Oxtails are very fatty, so you may want to trim some of the fat off the meat, this process takes time but it is definitely worth it! Add the meat back to the stew and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

I served the stew with garlic mashed potatoes but it is also tasty by itself.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!