Ox tail stew
Everything that might suggest that I am on "stew mode" is pure coincidence. I am not even a fan of mediterranean style stews where all the ingredients are cooked together. In fact, I cannot stand such stews because since the meat or fish are cooked along with all sorts of vegetables, the pleasure of enjoying different flavors in one dish is lost. Almost invariably, everything tastes like the meat or fish, depending on what is being used. And that is one of the worst things I have ever tasted. It doesn't pleases me at all.
But I must admit that there are some types of meat that I really like and that only make sense cooking in a stew. One of those types of meat is ox tail. Properly cooked, it rewards any foodie with a flavorful and melting meat course. Plus, it is really cheap!
So, yesterday, I decided to cook ox tail for dinner. It is not a fast dish to cook. If you want to try cooking it and you work late, I suggest that you choose the weekend to do it because you will have to allow at least 3 hours for cooking the meat properly. But I can assure you it is worth it. Besides, once in the pot simmering, you don't have to worry about it to much; just an occasional stirring and that's it.
Here it is my recipe for this stew (for 2 people):
Start by choosing a pot that can accommodate all pieces of tail contained in one package (usually one whole tail) in one layer. Roll the meat in flour shaking off all the excess. Place the pot over medium high heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is smoky hot, add the meat in one layer (if you don't have a pot big enough, do it in batches) and allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Reserve.
In the same pot, add one big yellow onion, chopped, and cook it until translucent (if you think it is necessary, you can add one tablespoon more of olive oil). Add, 3 cloves of garlic, chopped, 1/2 cup of carrots cut into even medium pieces, 1/2 cup of sliced celery, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Season with salt, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and allow it to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. In the meanwhile, peel and chop 1 cup of tomatoes (you can use canned tomatoes, if it is easier for you). Add them to the other veggies, season with a little bit more salt and 1 teaspoon of corn black pepper. Stir everything well, cover and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then, add the meat and all its juices, add enough beef stock to cover the meat, raise the heat and bring to the boil. Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary. Low the heat to the minimum and let it cook for 3 hours or until the meat feels flaky tender when pierced with a fork, stirring occasionally (you might have to add a little more stock). Serve with your favorite rice and bon appetit!!
If you like "melting in you mouth" beef, you are going to love this stew. The meat was extremely tender and flavorful and the veggies were soft and didn't lose their individual flavors. I guess the greatest problem of those stews I hate is that they have potatoes in them and the potatoes are little "flavor suckers": they absorb everything, which means that, at the end, one gets a single flavor. Anyway, this time I manage to have a tasty stew and I really enjoyed it. Hope you like it too. :)
But I must admit that there are some types of meat that I really like and that only make sense cooking in a stew. One of those types of meat is ox tail. Properly cooked, it rewards any foodie with a flavorful and melting meat course. Plus, it is really cheap!
So, yesterday, I decided to cook ox tail for dinner. It is not a fast dish to cook. If you want to try cooking it and you work late, I suggest that you choose the weekend to do it because you will have to allow at least 3 hours for cooking the meat properly. But I can assure you it is worth it. Besides, once in the pot simmering, you don't have to worry about it to much; just an occasional stirring and that's it.
Here it is my recipe for this stew (for 2 people):
Start by choosing a pot that can accommodate all pieces of tail contained in one package (usually one whole tail) in one layer. Roll the meat in flour shaking off all the excess. Place the pot over medium high heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is smoky hot, add the meat in one layer (if you don't have a pot big enough, do it in batches) and allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Reserve.
In the same pot, add one big yellow onion, chopped, and cook it until translucent (if you think it is necessary, you can add one tablespoon more of olive oil). Add, 3 cloves of garlic, chopped, 1/2 cup of carrots cut into even medium pieces, 1/2 cup of sliced celery, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Season with salt, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and allow it to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. In the meanwhile, peel and chop 1 cup of tomatoes (you can use canned tomatoes, if it is easier for you). Add them to the other veggies, season with a little bit more salt and 1 teaspoon of corn black pepper. Stir everything well, cover and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then, add the meat and all its juices, add enough beef stock to cover the meat, raise the heat and bring to the boil. Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary. Low the heat to the minimum and let it cook for 3 hours or until the meat feels flaky tender when pierced with a fork, stirring occasionally (you might have to add a little more stock). Serve with your favorite rice and bon appetit!!
If you like "melting in you mouth" beef, you are going to love this stew. The meat was extremely tender and flavorful and the veggies were soft and didn't lose their individual flavors. I guess the greatest problem of those stews I hate is that they have potatoes in them and the potatoes are little "flavor suckers": they absorb everything, which means that, at the end, one gets a single flavor. Anyway, this time I manage to have a tasty stew and I really enjoyed it. Hope you like it too. :)
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