Oxtails in a Wine/Balsamic Sauce

Making a stew for a family meal is really one of the easiest dishes to put together.  Rarely are the ingredient amounts crucial to the outcome of the dish so you can add more of something you like or decrease the amount of something that you're not too fond of.

We enjoy eating oxtails but I know this may not be something many of you are used to eating, so you could substitute short ribs or beef cubes for the oxtails.  The cooking time would probably have to be adjusted because of the sizes of the cuts of meat.

If you like, you could also add potato chunks towards the end of the cooking time.  I also have added a drained and rinsed can of cannellini beans.  The options to change this recipe to better suit your taste are endless.

I like to serve this over rice or polenta.  Either way, it's might fine eating!!!!

Oxtails in a Balsamic Wine Sauce

5 pounds of oxtails

2 Tablespoons Joe and Son’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used robust Barnea)

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

2 cups celery, cut into 1” pieces

2 cups carrots, cut into 1” pieces

2 cups canned, diced tomatoes with its liquid

1/2  cup Joe and Son’s 18 yr Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

1 cup red wine

16 oz. beef broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the Olive Oil in a large pan and brown the oxtails, taking care not to crowd the pan. You may have to do this in several batches. Don’t be afraid to truly brown them; they’ll have more flavor if you do.

Place the browned oxtails in an ovenproof casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Saute the onions, garlic, celery and carrots in the original pan. Cook and stir over moderate heat until the vegetables are soft and the onions are transparent.

Add the Balsamic Vinegar and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until the vinegar begins to reduce and thicken a little bit.

Add the wine, broth and canned tomatoes and cook over low heat for about another 10 minutes.

Pour the onion mixture into the casserole and spoon over the oxtails.

Cover the casserole and cook in the oven for about 2 ½ - 3 hours until the meat is very tender.