Quarantine at Home Series: Braised Oxtail Over Creamy Parmesan Polenta

       Well, we're back from our mental health camping trip. We haven't eaten on the road for critique/review purposes this summer to date.  I stick to what I know best.  The Summer of Quarantine and Cooking continues.  I have been preparing oxtails for several years now, at first simply Oxtail Stew which is delicious.  Then I discovered Braised Oxtails over Vegetables, which became our new favorite.  Now it's Braised Oxtails Over Polenta.  We love oxtails for their lean, rich beef flavor and ease of preparation.  Braising the meat prior to cooking helps sear the meat so it falls off the bone during cooking providing robust flavor.  You can find oxtails in your grocery store from time to time, but a visit to your local butcher might be easier.  Pick a pack of large meaty bones.  Some packs may have several smaller bones included.  Of course I love the meaty ones.
      The addition of Polenta here provides a rich, creamy base which can be fortified further with herbs, root vegetables, and Parmesan cheese.  This recipe makes a thick ragu' which may last for 2 meals.

2 pounds oxtails, leave on bone
salt
black pepper
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tsp. Herbs de Provence (you can improvise here)
1 Tsp. dried tarragon
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups warm beef stock

FOR THE CREAMY POLENTA
2 cups Polenta (you can use store bought prepared tubes or make it from scratch)
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley for garnish
Freshly grated parmesan
Butter

Flour & Corn Starch breaded 

      Heat skillet to medium high.  Season oxtails with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Place in deep dish Dutch Oven or oven roasting pan. Add oil and butter and mix. Braise for about 5 minutes, turn and repeat for all other sides.  Remove oxtails from pan.

Braising tails

      Heat oven to 325 F.  Into the same pot add the vegetables plus a pinch of salt and pepper.  Sauté while stirring for 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and herbs.  Continue to stir.  After about 30 seconds it will become aromatic.  Add in the tomato paste, red wine, and stir to reduce a bit until sticky.  Add the beef stock and crushed tomatoes, stir.  Add the braised oxtails back into the pan, cover,  and place  in oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Turn oxtails over and stir halfway through.

Simmerin' that ragu'

Creamy polenta with parmesan and butter

      During the last 45 minutes prepare the polenta; keep covered and warm.  Once the meat is tender, remove from bone and shred if you wish; return to pan.  I don't do this, I like chewing on that big old bone of good meat.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Right outta the oven

       To serve, spoon polenta into bowl and ladle some of the ragu' with tails on top.  Garnish with parsley and a bit more of the grated parmesan.

Plated for dinner with Parmesan Parsley garnish

      This is a DELICIOUS recipe, full of flavor and perfect for the first chill of fall through the first warmth of spring.  You can keep the bones for soups or stews later or treat your favorite puppy with them.  Waste nothing. 

"An earthy and comforting meal like polenta with braised oxtails in a rich ragu' is something that offers solace on those occasions when the sun hides behind the clouds......."

Ingrid Beer

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