Main events, RecipesAdam SmithApril 13, 2018Beef, Stew, Recipe, Meat

OxBeef Stew

Main events, RecipesAdam SmithApril 13, 2018Beef, Stew, Recipe, Meat

I always keep an eye out for the sturdier cuts of meat which are perfect for some one-pot action. On this occasion I saw a small pile of oxtail, shin of beef and an ox cheek sat there. Clearing the butcher out of these three delights I was good to go for some long and slow.

With oxtail, you are guaranteed a standout flavour from the meat and bones. The cheek and shin add an additional layer of taste and texture to the dish which delivers a solid beef stew full of richness and warmth.

Now usually when cooking a stew, I cook for about 12 people and have plenty of leftovers. On this occasion, however, I was limited by what the butcher had left so only cooked enough for 4-6 people. You can definitely double up the recipe, apart from the bay leaves.

Step 1 - The Meat

Roughly dice the meat up
Tip: Count how many pieces of Oxtail your have
Score the large pieces of oxtail to the bone
Cover them in flour
Fry them off in batches in a good knob of lard until brown
When finished, deglaze the pot with beer, ale or a stout, getting as much of the sticky brown flavour off the bottom (Red wine would work equally well for a different but equally good result)
Pour out and keep the liquor to one side

Step 2 - The Veg

Roughly dice up all the veg
Turn the heat down to low under the pot
Add a good knob of butter
Put all the veg in, add some salt and give it a good stir
Put the lid on so the veg sweats off
Giving it the occasional stir, leave covered for 20-30 minutes

Step 3 - The Wait

Set the oven to 160C
Add the meat and the liquor to the veg
Add the following:
- 4 bay leaves
- Heaped tsp of English Mustard
- Two heaped tsp of tomato puree
- Splash of soy sauce
- Splash of sherry vinegar
- Crushed garlic clove
- Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Give everything a good stir so it's well mixed
Finally, add the stock. I added about 800ml which covered the contents by about an inch
Put on the lid and pop into the preheated oven

Step 4 - Wait some more

After about 4 hours, the mixture should have reduced and darkened
Find a piece of Oxtail, the meat should fall off the bone.
If it doesn't put back in and wait a bit longer until it does
If the stew is looking a little dry, top it up with more stock
Pull out all the pieces of Oxtail. This is where the counting comes in from Stage 1
Shred all the meat from the bones and put them back into the pot. The bones can be binned now as they have done their job
Cover with a cartouche to minimise further reduction of the liquid
Cook for another couple of hours with the lid on