Braised Oxtail Ragu Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Cast Iron

by: Sara Jenkins

January31,2017

5

9 Ratings

  • Serves 6 to 8

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This is ragu depends on cooking the meat first, low and slow, with the same aromatic vegetables that will go into the base. The meat is then shredded, folded in, and cooked just long enough to amalgamate. —Sara Jenkins

  • Test Kitchen-Approved
Ingredients
  • 3 to 4 poundsoxtail, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
  • 2 small onions, divided
  • 6 carrots, divided
  • 6 celery stalks, divided
  • 2 tablespoonsItalian double concentrate tomato paste, divided
  • 1 head garlic, sliced in half horizontally
  • 1 bottle red wine
  • one 35-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 sprigs thyme, rosemary, or savory
  • 1/2 bunch parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 250° F. Get out a heavy enameled cast-iron pan and warm it over high heat. Pat the oxtail dry and season liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the olive oil to the pan and add the oxtail one at a time in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Brown each oxtail on either side, about 6 to 8 minutes a side. When all the oxtail is browned, drain the fat from the pan and set the meat aside.
  3. Add 1 chopped onion, 4 chopped carrots, and 4 chopped stalks of celery to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Let them brown and wilt for a few minutes in the oil, then add one tablespoon of tomato paste and let cook 5 to 6 more minutes.
  4. Add the oxtail, garlic halves, and the red wine and bring to a boil. If the wine doesn't cover the meat, add water until the meat is covered. When the wine is boiling, scrape the browned bits up off the bottom of the pan.
  5. Reduce heat and braise in the 250° F oven for 3 to 4 hours, until falling apart tender.
  6. Meanwhile, take the remaining carrots (2), celery (2), and onion (1), and the herbs and parsley and chop finely in a food processor.
  7. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat in a large Dutch oven-type pan. Sauté the chopped vegetables and herbs in the oil. After 7 to 8 minutes, when the onions start to get translucent, add 3/4 cup of water to the pan and dissolve the remaining tablespoon of tomato paste in it. Let cook until all the liquid is reduced and the vegetables are practically dissolved.
  8. Add the can of San Marzano tomatoes and break up with a fork, wooden spoon, or potato masher. Let this simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then reserve for the oxtail.
  9. When the oxtail is done, filter off all the cooking liquid and let it separate. Then remove the fat that rises to the top layer as completely as you can. Add the filtered liquid to the cooking vegetables and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. When the oxtail is cool enough to handle, pick the meat off and add it to the pot of vegetables, tomatoes, and cooking liquid.
  10. Simmer everything together until all the elements are amalgamated and the juices have reduced to a slightly syrupy consistency just rich enough to coat a pasta noodle, 20 to 35 minutes. At this point, the ragu can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.

Tags:

  • American
  • Celery
  • Meat
  • Parsley
  • Red Wine
  • Beef
  • Carrot
  • Serves a Crowd
  • Slow Cooker
  • Cast Iron
  • Weekend Cooking
  • Fall

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Boat

  • ChefJune

  • Sara Jenkins

  • Goose

Popular on Food52

9 Reviews

Goose January 26, 2023

I think that my mom would love this, but she's dead.

sare_pear January 2, 2020

Great recipe. The instructions don't say what to do with the bay leaf so I added it in step 8 and picked it out of the sauce at the end. For each serving I scooped some ragu into a small pan, added a bit of butter, fresh parsley, and orange zest, then tossed with pappardelle noodles. Freshly grated cheese on top. Yum! Great weekend meal.

nora December 27, 2019

Fabulous.

Jeanine G. September 7, 2018

Cut the Oxtails into 3 or 4 pieces? What about the bone?

Sara J. September 7, 2018

the oxtails should be purchased cut into 1-2 inch pieces

Jeanine G. September 7, 2018

Thanks.

Liv July 26, 2017

Hi do you use bake or roast ? Thank you

Boat February 6, 2017

I cook similarly the same recipe, but in a slow cooker and by adding everything into it at once. After browning the vegetables and oxtail of course. This way after 4 hours of braising you can just pull out the oxtail bone and you have to wash 1 pot.

ChefJune February 2, 2017

Oh my! this surely sounds like what I want to make this weekend.

Braised Oxtail Ragu Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is oxtail ragu made of? ›

Richly browned oxtail sections are simmered low and slow in a rich tomato sauce until the meat comes off the bones-- this oxtail ragu is almost foolproof. The only way to screw up this incredibly succulent cut of beef is to not cook it long enough.

What do you eat with braised oxtails? ›

Oxtail is best served with something to soak up the sauce, like pasta or noodles, rice, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, and crusty bread.

What's the difference between ragout and ragu? ›

The difference between ragu and ragout isn't really that much ragu is an Italian pasta sauce that is usually made with minced meat or vegetables and ragout is a French style stew that would normally be found on-top of a Paris style mash but the Italians would do this on-top of polenta.

What is the meaning of braised oxtail? ›

Braising oxtails means to cook them low and slow in the oven in some kind of cooking liquid. This can be anything from water, broth, or red wine and it results in an extremely tender, meaty dish.

Is braised oxtail healthy? ›

Yes. Oxtail is a mix of high-quality proteins and essential nutrients required for overall body health, especially joint health.

What is the best cut of meat for a ragu? ›

If you want to cut the meat yourself, get cuts like chuck or flank steak, as per the Bolognese tradition, or even a skirt steak (the diaphragm, practically impossible to find at the butchers). The same goes for pork: choose pieces like the thigh which are fatty and tasty.

What vegetable goes good with oxtails? ›

For a super simple and super healthy side to your oxtails, you can't go past steamed broccoli. Broccoli is such a flavorful vegetable that it really requires nothing more than a quick steam to get it plate-ready. Soak up some oxtail stew with its leafy stems and you're good to go for a hearty dinner!

What vegetables go well with oxtails? ›

Combining braised oxtails with carrots, parsnips, and turnips makes for delicious soul food. Serve this recipe with rice or with mashed potatoes.

Do you have to brown oxtails before cooking? ›

Put the meat in the oil and sear each side for a couple of minutes. Browning your oxtails will not cook the meat. Instead, it will enhance its color and aroma by caramelizing its exterior. Browning beef oxtails in a hot skillet before braising will also add rich depth and flavor to the meat.

What makes ragù taste better? ›

There are few secrets, but the main is…you need to work on it!
  1. Use the right cut of meat - “Beef” is too generic. ...
  2. Bacon - you need some; don't use smoked.
  3. Tomato - not too much; peeled tomatoes are OK, but be careful: water is the enemy of ragù! ...
  4. Keep the meat separate - the first thing to do is p.
Feb 20, 2017

Do you use ragù with or without lid? ›

If you want to reduce a sauce or liquid keep pot uncovered so that the excess water can evaporate. If you want the moisture to be absorbed e.g. when cooking rice keep the lid on. Slow cooking a casserole or braised dish cover the pot so that the vapour circulates and keeps the meat moist.

What do Italians call ragù? ›

In Italian cuisine, ragù (Italian: [raˈɡu], from French ragoût) is a meat sauce that is commonly served with pasta. An Italian gastronomic society, Accademia Italiana della Cucina, documented several ragù recipes. The recipes' common characteristics are the presence of meat and the fact that all are sauces for pasta.

Why do you soak oxtail before cooking? ›

By soaking and blanching the oxtail before cooking any impurities are removed. To cook: Oxtail requires long, slow cooking to produce tender, succulent meat. It should be cooked for a minimum of 3 hours for the best results.

What animal produces oxtails? ›

Oxtail is the tail of a cow. A long time ago, it came from the tail of an ox, but now it comes from the tail of a cow of either sex. The tail is skinned and cut into sections. Each section has a tailbone with some marrow in the center, and a bony portion of meat surrounding the tail.

Why do people love oxtail so much? ›

There is a good amount of fat and collagen that melt into your dishes as oxtail cooks, which will give a wonderful round texture to sauces and that slightly sticky feel to the meat. And the bonus flavor from the bone marrow that will cook into your dishes make this cut one to really get to know and not be afraid of!

What type of meat is oxtail? ›

Oxtail is most definitely beef. It is simply the tail from Beef Cattle.

What is Ragu meat made of? ›

Ragù is a meat-based sauce, typically served with pasta. Traditionally, pieces of meat (often beef, pork, game, or even horse), are cooked on a low heat in a braising liquid (this is usually tomato or wine-based) over a long period of time.

What part of the animal is oxtail? ›

What's Oxtail. Oxtail is a popular delicacy that comes from the tail of the cow. The tail is cut into thick pieces or chunks. It is often stewed or braised, releasing superb flavours.

What's the difference between Ragu and meat sauce? ›

Even though both are considered meat sauces and are thusly chunky, ragù is more like a thick tomato sauce with recognizable bits of ground beef within it. Bolognese, though, is creamier and thicker because it is made with milk. It is not considered to be a tomato sauce.

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