Servings: 4 people
Calories: 1014kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds oxtails
- 1 lb chorizo optional
- 3 whole ancho chile seeds and stem removed
- 3 whole guajillo chile seeds and stem removed
- 3 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 4 whole cloves garlic smashed
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 whole chipotle chilis packed in adobo roughly chopped with 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 pint chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 whole bay leaves
Instructions
Make the paste
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dry chilis. Add chilies to large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot and cook over medium-high heat until slightly darkened with intense, roasted aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow to smoke. Remove chilies to small bowl and set aside. Cover the chiles with water and then top with small saucer to keep chiles submerged
- Add the rehydrated chilis, ¼ - ½ cup of their liquid, the chipotle chilies plus a tablespoon of the sauce and puree until smooth.
Prepare the oxtails
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Pre-heat large dutch oven pot on medium heat. Add oil and then brown the oxtails on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic then saute 2-3 minutes. Halfway through add quarter of the spices and mix well.
- If including the chorizo in the recipe add it here at this step and brown fully.
- Add the broth and vinegar, deglazing the bottom of the pot by scraping up the brown bits. Add the paste, the remaining spices, and the bay leaves. Mix well and add the oxtails back. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with heavy lid and place in the oven. Braise 3-4 hours until fork tender.
- Once done, remove the oxtails and reduce the remaining sauce on the stovetop over high heat. Serve over the oxtails.
Notes
Be sure to remove the seeds before making the chili paste, otherwise the dish will be quite fiery and not a pleasurable experience unless that’s your thing.
Don’t skip the browning step. This is critical as browning equals caramelization equals flavor intensified and locked in.
A nice red wine is a great flavor enhancer. I include it as optional as oxtails themselves are already expensive, so didn’t want to add unnecessarily to the overall costs of the dish.
A heavy lid is key to braising. If you don’t have one place a sheet of parchment paper between the pot and the lid.
You can braise the oxtails on the stovetop instead of the oven if preferred. Just be sure to keep things at a low simmer throughout.
If you’re looking for a substitute for oxtails beef shanks will be your best bet. Oxtails are quite gelatinous which makes them perfect for long slow cooking. Shanks have big thick bones which and are similar but not the same.
Nutrition
Calories: 1014kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 90g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 320mg | Sodium: 2829mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1327IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 13mg
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