Ox Tails with Spring Onions
serves 4
The ox tails here are merely the focal point for the heavenly gravy, glossy and full-bodied because of the infusion of gelatin from the oxtails, piquant because of the wine and vinegar, sweet because of the root vegetables, and all brightened by the green onions.
work time: 45 minutes
elapsed time: 3.5 hours
8 - 10 ox tail sections, approx. 3" x 3"
1 head garlic, whole cloves separated and peeled, with roots cut off
6 - 8 whole shallots, peeled, with roots cut off
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces (roughly the same size as the shallots)
2 - 3 sweet green spring onions - e.g., Vidalia
1 bottle red wine
2 Tb balsamic vinegar
1 small (14oz) can diced tomatoes
3 European bay leaves
flour
salt
pepper
oil
If the ox tails are frozen, thaw them in the wine at room temperature for a couple of hours. Then drain and pat dry.
With a sharp knife, trim any excess fat off the ox tails.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Pre-heat a large ovenproof saute pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Dredge the ox tails in flour and shake off excess. Add several tablespoons of oil to the hot pan. Brown the ox tails thoroughly on all sides without burning, turning with tongs as needed. This will probably take 15 - 20 minutes. Set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and saute the garlic, shallots, and carrots in the pan for a few minutes. Add two or three tablespoons of flour - enough to absorb any excess oil - and stir. Cook over low heat for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and the wine and bring to a full simmer over high heat, making sure to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the oxtails and the bay leaves. Cover.
Place the covered pan in the oven and cook for three hours and fifteen minutes. Turn the oxtails over halfway through cooking.
Slice the green onions thickly. Divide into three piles: whites, light greens, and medium greens. (Compost the dark greens.) Saute the white part of the onion over high heat until it begins to brown. Add the light greens and saute a few more minutes. Whites and light greens should have begun to soften. Add the medium greens, stir briefly, and remove from heat. Stir the onions into the oxtails.
Cover the oxtail pan and let rest for fifteen minutes. During this period, finish making the risotto and the salad.
Place one oxtail section in each of four soup plates, with a generous amount of gravy. Spoon a serving of low-profile risotto into each plate. (Make the risotto with water, not stock, just a small amount of butter, and a few tablespoons of frehly grated Romano cheese. Don't overcook.) The gravy and the risotto are really good match, texturally. Serve a salad on the side, and accompany with a serious Italian wine, such as Rivetti's "Pin".
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