Ox Tails
 

Will be boiling some ox tails in beer -- hope I don't run out. Using dark
beer... seems it would make a better gravy than the light.

I tried this once before and the beer cooked away before I could get them
tender.

I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't good with
bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my house. But any ideas
for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?

Thanks!



--
Your parents take care of you until you're 21. The government takes care of
you after you're 65. You only have to take care of yourself for 44 years.
(www.dwacon.com)

Ox Tails
 

"DWACON" wrote
> Will be boiling some ox tails in beer -- hope I don't run out. Using dark
> beer... seems it would make a better gravy than the light.
>
> I tried this once before and the beer cooked away before I could get them
> tender.
>
> I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't good
> with bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my house. But
> any ideas for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?
>
> Thanks!

I found this one on Google. Sounds pretty good, to me:

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blss86.htm

If you Google on oxtails, you'll find quite a few recipes.

Dora

Ox Tails
 

DWACON wrote:

> Will be boiling some ox tails in beer -- hope I don't run out. Using dark
> beer... seems it would make a better gravy than the light.
>
> I tried this once before and the beer cooked away before I could get them
> tender.
>
> I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't good with
> bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my house. But any ideas
> for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?

Dry browning the oxtails in a bit of oil first. Then toss in some chopped
celery, onion and carrot, along with a bit of garlic, then add beef broth and a
bit of tomato paste. Cover it and stick it in the oven at about 300 for a
couple hours. If you want a thicker sauce you can remove the meat, bring the
liquid to a boil and stir on some Veloutine or a gravy and water slurry/ You may
need to pour off a bit of fat first.

Ox Tails
 

In article <pPcsg.154523$k%3.62861@dukeread12>,
"DWACON" > wrote:

> Will be boiling some ox tails in beer -- hope I don't run out. Using dark
> beer... seems it would make a better gravy than the light.
>
> I tried this once before and the beer cooked away before I could get them
> tender.
>
> I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't good with
> bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my house. But any ideas
> for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?
>
> Thanks!


Make sure the beer's flat before you use it. Pressure cook at 15psi for
about 45-60 minutes, IME.
--
-Barb
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 7-5-06, Pannekoeken
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

Ox Tails
 

In article >,
says...
> Dry browning the oxtails in a bit of oil first. Then toss in some chopped
> celery, onion and carrot, along with a bit of garlic, then add beef broth and a
> bit of tomato paste. Cover it and stick it in the oven at about 300 for a
> couple hours. If you want a thicker sauce you can remove the meat, bring the
> liquid to a boil and stir on some Veloutine or a gravy and water slurry/ You may
> need to pour off a bit of fat first.
>
>


This is a good approach, IMO. Even better, replace half of the broth
with a sturdy red wine. Beer might work too. I think of oxtails as a
winter dish - I cannot imagine making them in the summer. But then I
live in North Carolina where "hot and humid" is the state anthem.


--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Ox Tails
 

Dave Smith wrote:
> DWACON wrote:
>
>> Will be boiling some ox tails in beer -- hope I don't run out.
>> Using dark beer... seems it would make a better gravy than the light.
>>
>> I tried this once before and the beer cooked away before I could get
>> them tender.
>>
>> I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't
>> good with bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my
>> house. But any ideas for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?
>
> Dry browning the oxtails in a bit of oil first. Then toss in some
> chopped celery, onion and carrot, along with a bit of garlic, then
> add beef broth and a bit of tomato paste. Cover it and stick it in
> the oven at about 300 for a couple hours. If you want a thicker sauce
> you can remove the meat, bring the liquid to a boil and stir on some
> Veloutine or a gravy and water slurry/ You may need to pour off a bit
> of fat first.

Absolutely brown them in oil first. Then (pressure cooker or not) you just
need to simmer them in water or broth until they are falling apart tender.
YUM! Make oxtail stew... throw in some diced potatoes, carrots, onion,
celery towards the last of the simmering, about 40 minutes.

Jill

Ox Tails
 

jmcquown wrote:
>
> Absolutely brown them in oil first. Then (pressure cooker or not) you just
> need to simmer them in water or broth until they are falling apart tender.
> YUM! Make oxtail stew... throw in some diced potatoes, carrots, onion,
> celery towards the last of the simmering, about 40 minutes.

You got something against bay leaf?

Ox Tails
 

Mark Thorson wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> Absolutely brown them in oil first. Then (pressure cooker or not)
>> you just need to simmer them in water or broth until they are
>> falling apart tender. YUM! Make oxtail stew... throw in some diced
>> potatoes, carrots, onion, celery towards the last of the simmering,
>> about 40 minutes.
>
> You got something against bay leaf?

Of course not; but who ever heard of bay leaf with ox tails? LOL

Ox Tails
 

In article >, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>Dave Smith wrote:
>> DWACON wrote:
>>> Will be boiling some ox tails in beer -- hope I don't run out.
>>> Using dark beer... seems it would make a better gravy than the light.
>>>
>>> I tried this once before and the beer cooked away before I could get
>>> them tender.
>>>
>>> I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't
>>> good with bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my
>>> house. But any ideas for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?
>>
>> Dry browning the oxtails in a bit of oil first. Then toss in some
>> chopped celery, onion and carrot, along with a bit of garlic, then
>> add beef broth and a bit of tomato paste. Cover it and stick it in
>> the oven at about 300 for a couple hours. If you want a thicker sauce
>> you can remove the meat, bring the liquid to a boil and stir on some
>> Veloutine or a gravy and water slurry/ You may need to pour off a bit
>> of fat first.
>
>Absolutely brown them in oil first. Then (pressure cooker or not) you just
>need to simmer them in water or broth until they are falling apart tender.
>YUM! Make oxtail stew... throw in some diced potatoes, carrots, onion,
>celery towards the last of the simmering, about 40 minutes.

I was looking at ox tails in the local supermarket last Saturday
morning. It's been a bit cool here lately, even in the tropics, and
the idea of oxtail stew rather appealed. BUT, as they have been for
some time now, they were far too bloody fatty. Coincidentally, a mate
of mine did buy two packs; but I've since heard he ended up with
barely one after cutting out the more obvious chunks of fat. Bloody
pity really. Oxtail stew/curry is great tucker.

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

Ox Tails
 

Phred wrote:

> I was looking at ox tails in the local supermarket last Saturday
> morning. It's been a bit cool here lately, even in the tropics, and
> the idea of oxtail stew rather appealed. BUT, as they have been for
> some time now, they were far too bloody fatty. Coincidentally, a mate
> of mine did buy two packs; but I've since heard he ended up with
> barely one after cutting out the more obvious chunks of fat. Bloody
> pity really. Oxtail stew/curry is great tucker.

You don't have to cut off the fat before cooking. A lot of it will be rendered out and, like any braised
dish, they taste better are cooled and then re-heated. The fat will rise to the top and harden and can
be picked off easily.

We used to have ox tails frequently when I was first married. They were cheap for very little money we
could buy enough oxtails to have a real feed of them. Recently, I have been finding that it costs more
for enough ox tails for a reasonable serving than it does for steak, and it just doesn't seem right to
have to pay so much for a meal that needs other ingredients and a time and work to prepare.

Ox Tails
 

> Thanks!

B A R L E Y

Ox Tails
 

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article <pPcsg.154523$k%3.62861@dukeread12>,
> "DWACON" > wrote:
[snip]
> > I am thinking of buying a pressure cooker -- although they aren't good with
> > bubbly things like beer -- I like keeping a roof in my house. But any ideas
> > for recipes to do this with a pressure cooker?

> Make sure the beer's flat before you use it. Pressure cook at 15psi for
> about 45-60 minutes, IME.

Here's a link to a recipe by Emeril called "Caribbean Oxtails." He
uses Guinness stout and recommends boiling the stout or beer for
several minutes. Probably doesn't have the patience to open it and let
it go flat first. The recipe also gives procedures for either long
simmering or using a pressure cooker. -aem


http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._33510,00.html

Ox Tails
 

In article >, Dave Smith > wrote:
>Phred wrote:
>
>> I was looking at ox tails in the local supermarket last Saturday
>> morning. It's been a bit cool here lately, even in the tropics, and
>> the idea of oxtail stew rather appealed. BUT, as they have been for
>> some time now, they were far too bloody fatty. Coincidentally, a mate
>> of mine did buy two packs; but I've since heard he ended up with
>> barely one after cutting out the more obvious chunks of fat. Bloody
>> pity really. Oxtail stew/curry is great tucker.
>
>You don't have to cut off the fat before cooking. A lot of it will be rendered out and, like any braised
>dish, they taste better are cooled and then re-heated. The fat will rise to the top and harden and can
>be picked off easily.

True. But I wasn't really talking method, I was talking proportions.

>We used to have ox tails frequently when I was first married. They were cheap for very little money we
>could buy enough oxtails to have a real feed of them. Recently, I have been finding that it costs more
>for enough ox tails for a reasonable serving than it does for steak, and it just doesn't seem right to
>have to pay so much for a meal that needs other ingredients and a time and work to prepare.

The damn things are obviously becoming too popular!
Lamb neck chops are going the same way. :-(

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

Ox Tails
 

Dave Smith wrote:

>>You don't have to cut off the fat before cooking. A lot of it will be
>>rendered out and, like any braised
>>dish, they taste better are cooled and then re-heated. The fat will rise
>>to the top and harden and can
>>be picked off easily.

Phred wrote:
>
> True. But I wasn't really talking method, I was talking proportions.

Dave wrote:
>
>>We used to have ox tails frequently when I was first married. They were
>>cheap for very little money we
>>could buy enough oxtails to have a real feed of them. Recently, I have
>>been finding that it costs more
>>for enough ox tails for a reasonable serving than it does for steak, and
>>it just doesn't seem right to
>>have to pay so much for a meal that needs other ingredients and a time and
>>work to prepare.

Phred wrote:
> The damn things are obviously becoming too popular!
> Lamb neck chops are going the same way. :-(
>
> Cheers, Phred.

I've often used smoked necks to flavour green beans - they were cheaper than
ham hocks. Yesterday at the supermarket, the name had changed to "smoked
pork" - and for a small package of neck bones with hardly any meat, as
usual, they wanted almost $5.00 US. Crazy. Since when were bones more
expensive than the meat?

Dora

Ox Tails
 

limey wrote:

>
> >
> >>We used to have ox tails frequently when I was first married. They were
> >>cheap for very little money we
> >>could buy enough oxtails to have a real feed of them. Recently, I have
> >>been finding that it costs more
> >>for enough ox tails for a reasonable serving than it does for steak, and
> >>it just doesn't seem right to
> >>have to pay so much for a meal that needs other ingredients and a time and
> >>work to prepare.
>
> Phred wrote:
> > The damn things are obviously becoming too popular!
> > Lamb neck chops are going the same way. :-(
> >
> > Cheers, Phred.
>
> I've often used smoked necks to flavour green beans - they were cheaper than
> ham hocks. Yesterday at the supermarket, the name had changed to "smoked
> pork" - and for a small package of neck bones with hardly any meat, as
> usual, they wanted almost $5.00 US. Crazy. Since when were bones more
> expensive than the meat?
>

Unfortunately, it seems to be a trend. Many of those old braising favourites
that used to be dirt cheap are now much more expensive, sometimes even more
expensive that those lean cuts that can be prepared with minimal effort.
Chicken wings used to be very cheap here, but then came the Buffalo wing craze.
Restaurants used to make a dandy profit on them because they bought them cheap
and they were simply deep fried and tossed in hot sauce. Now wings are quite
expensive. I can by a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that will
easily feed two for less than it costs for a decent feed of wings.

Ox Tails
 

"Dave Smith" wrote

limey wrote:
>> I've often used smoked necks to flavour green beans - they were cheaper
>> than
>> ham hocks. Yesterday at the supermarket, the name had changed to "smoked
>> pork" - and for a small package of neck bones with hardly any meat, as
>> usual, they wanted almost $5.00 US. Crazy. Since when were bones more
>> expensive than the meat?
>>
>
> Chicken wings used to be very cheap here, but then came the Buffalo wing
> craze.
> Restaurants used to make a dandy profit on them because they bought them
> cheap
> and they were simply deep fried and tossed in hot sauce. Now wings are
> quite
> expensive. I can by a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that
> will
> easily feed two for less than it costs for a decent feed of wings.

I know what you mean. We live in prime Purdue chicken country, yet have
paid $1.29/pound locally when Purdue chicken was selling for 69 cents/pound
in New York state.

Upside-down world.

Ox Tails
 

I looked for a pressure cooker but couldn't seem to find the size/price
combination that I wanted. I went back to the boiling idea and
boiled/simmered them for three hours in a few bottles of "leftover" stout
beer (a little Harp, a little Beamish, a little Boddingtons).

When they were just about ready, I caramelized ½ yellow onion in olive oil
and then added four plum tomatoes, sliced. I poured in a bit of basalmic
vinegar and cooked it down to a thick sauce. When it was just about ready,
I stirred in four chopped shiitake mushrooms (stems removed).

I put the ox tails on a bed of jasmine rice and topped them with the sauce.
The final touch, surrounding the plate with a layer of baby spinach.

They were fall-off-the-bone tender and tasty. Next time, though... I might
go ahead and buy a new pressure cooker. Got one of those 20% off coupons
from Bed Bath and Beyond... I'm sure they have pressure cookers...


--
Your parents take care of you until you're 21. The government takes care of
you after you're 65. You only have to take care of yourself for 44 years!
(www.dwacon.com)

Ox Tails
 

DWACON wrote:

> I looked for a pressure cooker but couldn't seem to find the size/price
> combination that I wanted. I went back to the boiling idea and
> boiled/simmered them for three hours in a few bottles of "leftover" stout
> beer (a little Harp, a little Beamish, a little Boddingtons).
>

A stew boiled is a stew spoiled.

Do not boil it. Simmer it. Braised meats are best when browned and then gently
simmered in a flavourful liquid. Put a top on the pot and stick it in a low
temperature oven, about 300 F.

If you have to boil the liquid thicken it with some sort of starch like flour or
Veloutine, remove the meat then bring the liquid to a boil.




>
> They were fall-off-the-bone tender and tasty. Next time, though... I might
> go ahead and buy a new pressure cooker. Got one of those 20% off coupons
> from Bed Bath and Beyond... I'm sure they have pressure cookers...

Save your money. Pressure cookers do not make better stews.

Ox Tails
 

Dave Smith wrote:
> DWACON wrote:
>
>
>> They were fall-off-the-bone tender and tasty. Next time, though... I might
>> go ahead and buy a new pressure cooker. Got one of those 20% off coupons
>> from Bed Bath and Beyond... I'm sure they have pressure cookers...
>>
>
> Save your money. Pressure cookers do not make better stews.
>
True, but they make quicker stews. I've given up on oxtail since I
discovered ox cheek, but I use the same recipe and there are times when
I want to eat it the day I cook it, for all that braises are improved by
a night in the fridge. Pressure cookers are like every other kitchen
gadget, they're good for what they're good for. With a pressure cooker
you can be doing the stew on the stove top instead of tying the oven up
for three hours at a low temperature; this means you've got the oven
free to cook the pudding.

Christine

Ox Tails
 

Phred wrote:
> In article >, Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> Phred wrote:
>>
>> We used to have ox tails frequently when I was first married. They were cheap for very little money we
>> could buy enough oxtails to have a real feed of them. Recently, I have been finding that it costs more
>> for enough ox tails for a reasonable serving than it does for steak, and it just doesn't seem right to
>> have to pay so much for a meal that needs other ingredients and a time and work to prepare.
>>
>
> The damn things are obviously becoming too popular!
> Lamb neck chops are going the same way. :-(
>
It's a definite trend. It's happened with my favourite for braises, ox cheek. Ten years ago nobody had heard of it, five years ago you had to beg the butcher to save you some from the allocation for the commercial customers, now they're packing it up on the little plastic trays and there's recipes all over the place.

When I was a kid Mum used lamb necks and shanks for soup, and gave the bones to the dog. The very idea of paying for a restaurant to cook you a lamb shank would have horrified her!

Christine

Ox Tails
 

Old Mother Ashby wrote:
> Phred wrote:
>> In article >, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>> Phred wrote:
>>>
>>> We used to have ox tails frequently when I was first married. They
>>> were cheap for very little money we could buy enough oxtails to
>>> have a real feed of them. Recently, I have been finding that it
>>> costs more for enough ox tails for a reasonable serving than it
>>> does for steak, and it just doesn't seem right to have to pay so
>>> much for a meal that needs other ingredients and a time and work to
>>> prepare.
>>
>> The damn things are obviously becoming too popular!
>> Lamb neck chops are going the same way. :-(
>>
> It's a definite trend. It's happened with my favourite for braises,
> ox cheek. Ten years ago nobody had heard of it, five years ago you
> had to beg the butcher to save you some from the allocation for the
> commercial customers, now they're packing it up on the little plastic
> trays and there's recipes all over the place.
> When I was a kid Mum used lamb necks and shanks for soup, and gave
> the bones to the dog. The very idea of paying for a restaurant to
> cook you a lamb shank would have horrified her!

And gravy beef has gone through the roof. It used to be lovely, dry, puffy
meat. Now it costs a fortune. It's from the shin, nice gelatinous bits
through it. I really miss it.

And osso bucco is getting pricier. and yeah, lamb shanks, I've been enjoying
cooking those for years, now they are "special" and cost way more than they
are really worth.



--
ant