I Quote Nigella Lawson: “There is something about the tender viscosity and deep, rich flavour of slow-cooked oxtail that makes it, for me, the dream stew. I know its fattiness is not for everyone, but I love the way it feels as if I’ve put on beef lip gloss after eating a big bowl or two of it”. I cannot say it any better.
Ingredients
65g goose fat
4 onions finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic crushed
65g plain flour
I teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
flat leaf parsley
half teaspoon powered mace
half teaspoon ginger powder
half teaspoon ground cloves
2.5 kg oxtail
1 x 400 g tin plum tomatoes
4 carrots cut into batons
2 bay leaves
400ml mackeson
300ml beef stock
Method
serves 6
pre heat oven to 150C
Heat half the fat in a large pan that will go in the oven and gently fry the onions onions, for about 15 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, dried marjoram and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
After a couple of minutes, remove to a plate.
Mix the flour with the mustard powder, ground mace, ground cloves, salt and pepper. Dredge the oxtail in the flour. Melt the remaining fat and brown the meat well. Add the tomatoes, (not the juice, but save it, you may need it later ) and the bay leaves. Pour over the mackeson and the beef stock. Bring to the boil, if it looks sparse, you need a good amount to cover the oxtail add the juice from the tomatoes
Put the lid on, and place in the oven
Cook for 3 to 4 hours until as Nigella says it is unctuous.
It is best cooked the day before. Allow to cool, then remove the surface fat.
Sprinkled with chopped parsley, and serve with creamed potatoes.
Original recipe: Nigella Lawson from How to eat.
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