OXTAIL (BEEF)
Preparation:
Allow about 2 1/4 lbs oxtail per person
Raw Oxtail
- Smith Meadows oxtail is cut into fairly large pieces with a bit of meat attached to make it easier to handle
- Soak in cold water for a few hours
- To separate the meat from the bone more easily, it is useful to parboil the pieces for a few minutes in lightly salted water before following the recipe
Recipes:
Oxtail with Pancetta
serves 4
from THE SILVER SPOON
Oxtail Vaccinara, from Food Lover’s Odyssey to Puglia
2 1/4 lb oxtail, cut into pieces
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP butter
scant 1/2 cup Smith Meadows pancetta, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
salt & pepper
Soak the oxtail in 3 changes of cold water for a total of 2 hours, then drain and pat dry. Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minute. Add the oxtail and cook, turning until browned all over. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for a few minutes more, then add enough hot water to cover. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat until the meat comes away from the bones and the cooking juices have thickened.
SHORT RIBS (BEEF)
Preparation:
Smith Meadows ribs don’t require much preparation
Beef Short Ribs
- They usually come as 2 large ribs per 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lb packs
- Before trimming any excess external fat, it is best to brown the ribs before cooking to render more fat and intensify the meat flavors
Recipes:
Mrs. Ratzen’s Beef Cabbage Soup
Enough for a large pot of soup
developed from Mrs. Ratzen’s original recipe for Smith Meadows Kitchen
To Make the Stock:
4 packs of beef Short Ribs (about 2 -2.5 lbs per pack)
1 Large Onions Cut in Half
1-2 large carrots
6 cloves
2-3 large ribs of celery
1 handful of fresh sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup white wine
2 tsp salt
3-4 quarts water
Thaw the short ribs. Peel and cut each onion in half. pierce the onion halves with 3 cloves each. Set Aside with the herbs and the celery and carrots. Sear them in the large tilt skillet one rib at a time with no olive oil. dd a little of white wine every time the ribs start to stick. Set the ribs aside as you brown them individually in a large bowl. Add all the ribs, veggies, salt and wine back into the pot. Cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer at 275 degrees. Cook on low for 2-3 hours until meat falls off the bone and is tender.
When it is done. Remove ribs from the pot first. Strain the liquid through a large strainer into a bowl. If the veggies look good, puree into a gravy to sell at market. When the ribs are cool, pick all the meat off the bones and set aside to make soup.
To Make the Soup:
1/2 large cabbage heads, about 1 1/2 lbs
1 large onion
1 tart apples
1/4 cup olive oil
3 quarts soup stock (from Short Ribs)
Shredded beef from Short Ribs
1 cup Neopolitan Marinara
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup barley
2 TBSP lemon juice
Cut the cabbages into quarters, remove the inner core. Thinly slice into half moon pieces. Cut the onions in half and thinly slice. Core and peel the apples and thinly slice (use an apple peeler and corer if available). Heat the large tilt skillet (350 degrees) and add the olive oil. Then add the cabbage, the onions and the apples. Cook until the onion get some color and begin to become translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the barley. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Add the barley and cook for another 40 minutes until the barley is al dente. Add lemon juice.
Braised Short Ribs
serves 4
from THE JOY OF COOKING
Braised short ribs from foodietots
3 lbs Smith Meadows beef short ribs, excess fat trimmed
Season with :
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried herbs (marjoram, oregano, rosemary, savory, thyme, or sage)
Heat in a Dutch oven or large heavy oven-proof skillet with a lid over medium heat:
2 TBSP chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 TBSP chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of dried herbs (same as above)
Add and bring to a boil:
1 1/2 cups beef or poultry stock
Return the short ribs to the pot. Add:
2-3 bay leaves
Cover and bake until the ribs are tender and the meat pulls away easily from the bone. 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Remove the ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm. Skim off any fat from the surface of the liquid, and reduce over high heat until the sauce is syrupy. Serve the ribs with the sauce.
Hawaiian Oxtail Soup from Simply Recipes
Chinese Style Oxtail Soup (from Hawaii via Helen Scully)
8 servings
1 2-3lb oxtail
Cut into 2” pieces, parboil about 10 minutes, drain and clean. Brown all over in the soup pot with a little oil and soy sauce)
6 cups water
1/2 cup raw peanuts
You can use up to 1 1/2 cup or 1/2 lb
1 roll of chung choi
Salted mustard cabbage root, rinsed
1 small go pi
Dried orange peel about the size of a half dollar. Soak in cold water until soft, then scrape most of the white pith off.
3-4 cloves of garlic
Crushed or minced
1 knob of ginger root
Peeled and crushed, minced or sliced (if you want to removed it later, slice it).
Salt to taste
Or you can use oyster sauce
Chinese parsley
To garnish (optional)
Combine parboiled, cleaned and browned oxtail, water, chung choi, orange peel, garlic and ginger in soup pot. Simmer for about 1/2 hour and then add the peanuts. Simmer an additional 2 1/2 hours or until oxtail is tender. Remove chung choi and, if desired, sliced ginger. Add salt and/or oyster sauce to taste. Garnish with Chinese parsley if desired.