Slow-braised oxtail and beans
It's slow but it's super tasty
CourseMain Course
Keywordcrowd pleaser, easy, family meals, low and slow
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8 people
Ingredients
For the beans
3 x 400 g cannellini beans
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
2 – 3 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of sage
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
120 ml olive oil
Braised Oxtail
800 g oxtail
100 ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped 1cm pieces
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
120 g tomato paste
100 ml red wine
1 kg tomato passata (or use tinned tomatoes)
2 tbsp date syrup (or honey)
Instructions
Drain the liquid from the cans and give a quick rinse.
Then add to a pan with the onion, rosemary, sage, garlic and cumin and add water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and leave for approx 30mins (you don't want the beans to break up).
Drain the beans in a colander and leave to one sid.e
For the braised oxtail
Season the oxtail liberally with salt and pepper.
In a cast iron or casserole dish, on the stove on a medium heat, add the olive oil and (in batches if necessary), seal the meat so it's brown on all sides.
Remove the meat onto a wire rack once browned and set aside.
In the same pan, over medium heat, add the onions, carrots, celery and cook until softened and translucent.
Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.
Next, stir in the tomato paste and fry for approx 5mins before pouring in the red wine and stirring to deglaze the pan.
Now, add in the passata, date syrup and gently place the oxtail back in before covering with water.
Get to a simmer, then leave on your lowest setting, covered for 3 – 4hrs.
You want the sauce to reduce and darken and the oxtail to be tender and almost falling apart.
NB: you can add more water throughout the cooking as the oxtail should be submerged.
Now, add the beans back into the dish and place in the oven (uncovered) for another 1 – 1.5hrs on 160C/140C fan.
NB: instead of using your oven and to give a smoky taste, you can use your BBQ smoker to cook the oxtail and beans for another 2hrs on 120C.
OR you could add some paprika to your dish in the oven
