Cullen's Cuban Oxtail
8 lb Oxtail trimmed of fat, cut in 2" segments
2 cup Finely chopped onions
2 cup Finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup Chopped celery
1/2 cup Red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup Green bell pepper, diced
3 x Cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander seed
2 x Bay leaves
1/4 cup Capers, rinsed
3 cup Canned tomatoes with their juice, chopped
4 cup Beef stock
1/2 cup Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
6 slc Garlic toast
Method :
Paul O'Connell of Chez Henri's in Cambridge serves this rustic dish, which is
Cuban with a strong Spanish influence. It's piquant with peppers, tomatoes,
capers, and spices. Do not be put off by the ingredient list: The dish is easy
and uncomplicated to make while full of flavor.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the oxtail in a high-sided roasting pan and
roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning it once. Remove it from the oven and
ppour off the rendered fat.
Distribute all the vegetables and spices - including the cumin, coriander seed,
bay leaves, and capers - around the oxtail. Pour the tomatoes and beef stock
over the oxtail with enough water to cover. Place in the hot oven for 1 hour.
Check every 15 to 20 minutes and stir with a spoon to break up any crust that
forms (add water if it seems dry). After 1 hour reduce the heat to 350 degrees
and continue cooking until the oxtail is done, about 1 hour more. Pull one large
ppiece of oxtail to check for doneness: The meat should fall from the bone.
Remove the oxtail from the sauce and skim off as much fat as you can.
Let the oxtail cool and chill overnight in a container, covered with the sauce.
When cold, remove the layer of solidified fat on the surface. To serve, slowly
reheat the oxtail in the sauce and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve the
oxtail in bowls, the sauce spooned over it, with garlic toast and sprigs of
fresh cilantro.