A dish most comforting
March 18th, 2008 by Trinifood
The weather’s been very yucky in these parts lately. It’s been cold, wet and windy, not the conditions for going out and enjoying the nightlife.
On nights like this, there’s nothing to warm the bones like a bowl of steamy, comfort food. I had planned to cook a traditional oxtail soup in the style of Port of Spain’s Breakfast Shed with some meaty joints I got from Farmer Sharp at Borough Market but then I saw a tempting recipe by Nigel Slater in the Observer Food Monthly that made my mouth water.
Slater, one of this country’s best food writers is a lover of comfort food and this recipe for Braised oxtail with mustard sauce shows why he is so loved.
To give the dish a bit more kick, I seasoned the oxtail with a little bit of jerk seasoning and put some chadon beni sauce in with the onions. After two hours of cooking, the result was tender meat dropping off the bone that was flavoured enough by the seasoning and the wine to eat at that point. The creamy, tangy and delightfully rich mustard sauce isn’t going to help any weight loss efforts but who cares, it was an absolute revelation.
It’s made for a marriage with mashed potatoes and I’d strongly recommend this combination as a simple main course for a small dinner. Oxtail is rather inexpensive so the money you save on meat can go into a buying a good wine or an upmarket cider for you and your guests.
Braised oxtail with mustard sauce
Olive oil
1.75kg oxtail
2 onions
3 bay leaves
glass of white wine
piece of greaseproof paper, buttered or oiled
300 ml double cream
1 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
1 tbsp grain mustard
Method
1. Set the oven at 160C/gas 3. Warm a little oil in a heavy casserole. Season the oxtail all over with salt and black pepper. Lower into the oil and leave to colour on all sides.
2. Meanwhile halve, peel and thinly slice the onions while occasionally turning the meat so that it gilds lightly and evenly.
3. Remove the oxtail and add the onions, letting them soften a little but not colour.
4. Hide the meat among the onions, tuck in the bay leaves and pour over the white wine.
5. Lay the buttered greaseproof paper over the top then cover with a lid. Bake for two hours or until the meat begins to come away from the bone.
6. Lift the lid and remove the meat to a warm dish. Pour off any obvious fat then stir in the cream and the mustards and check the seasoning.
7. Bring to the boil on the hob then bubble hard for 5-10 minutes to reduce the quantity, stirring in any pan-stickings as you go. Spoon the mustard sauce over the oxtail and eat immediately.
Posted in Food Matters |
March 18th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Lawd! me want some!
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
Why do you torment me so??!! That’s def new.. mustard sauce on oxtail. Will def try it cuz yuh know they always have oxtail in my house!
April 1st, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I’d never have thought of uing mustard saue on oxtail, but I have no idea why not. It sounds delicious!
Sometimes I avoid buying oxtail because I don’t know how much I’ll need. With meat off the bone, I’ll get 400g for the two of us, but with oxtail- no idea! How many did you feed with your 1.75kg?
April 6th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Ros, you are right, it depends on the oxtail. I fed approximately three with serious appetites.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:00 am
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November 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
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December 3rd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Have always done oxtail by braising it in a stew rather than as a soup. Coincidentally, last night I prepared lamb’s kidneys in mustard…TWO mustards…dijon and english mustard. And a bit of Spanish sherry. I was quite nervous presenting it to the family….but it was a hit. I can promise you that the next time I prepare oxtail, it will be as close to your recipe as possible, however using creme fraiche instead of cream.
February 8th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Where do you buy your chadon beni in London? Im based in Nottingham and no-one seems to know the herb i’m talking about.
I’m going down to London soon so it would be brilliant is you can tell me where I can stock up on some chadon beni!
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