6.2.12

I went to the woods because i wanted to live deliberately,


I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

3 bonus points for the film.

This weekend i discovered 3 things

1. Bridal consultations in the snow are fun
2. The Hound's enjoyment of snow is inversely proportional to the depth of said snow.
3. Nobody blogs oxtail recipes, because the end result isn't pretty.

but it tastes amazing. I think my last experience of oxtail was in a tin, at the home of a school friend aged 7.

The lady at the butchery counter saw me coming, could sense my keen nose for a bargain, and reduced the oxtail as i stood there. I didn't stand a chance.

After consultation of The Stamford Hen, and Nigel and Hugh, I realised I didn't have all the ingredients to make any of their suggestions, so a hybrid ensued.

Oxtail

Coat in seasoned flour
Brown and set aside
Add chopped carrots and onion to the pan
Sweat until softened
Add cinnamon, star anise, bay, peppercorns.
Return the oxtail to the pan
Add red wine and beef stock
Simmer for 3 hours partially covered.
The meat will fall off the bones, but you should definitely suck the life out of them just to be sure you have every last bit.
Serve with mashed potato
Or pie
Whichever.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dead Poet's Society???

Mrs T-J said...

I love Oxtail and another cut of beef, that is cheap as chips and is adorable cooked this way, is Feather Blade. xxx

flwrjane said...

I have never left for the woods without a baggie of star anise myself.

xo J.

joebloggs said...

Heston does some stuff with an ox tail and it ends up in a pudding!!
Ok, its a savoury pudding but you wouldn't put it past him though would ya?
Film = Predator?

Jenny Rudd said...

we are coming back to the UK for a year in April. Stand by xx

Isabella said...

Definitely Dead Poets' Society. What I do not know, and wonder, is it a creation of the movie authors, or is it a quotation, and if the latter, from where? Sounds like Walden...? By the way, I am Isabella and write from Italy, in some areas where cattle rearing is a typical activity we also have a recipe for oxtail (otherwise you do not even find it on sale). It is called "Coda alla vaccinara" (in English: Oxtail the cowboy's fashion - more or less) and it has garlic, celery, carrots and tomato in it. In the end it is almost a soup. You should be able to eat it in the Rome area, north from it. Bon appetit!

Miss Pickering said...

It was Dead Poets Society, quote by Henry David Thoreau.

Thanks for the oxtail suggestions, i have a soft spot for cowboys....

Jane, you should never go anywhere without star anise.

Jenny a whole year?, some sort of SHS lunch is in order, how many girls can we get together?

Anonymous said...

Ah, beaten me to it. Yes, DPS, fell in love with Ethan Hawke in that, and Walden. Sigh. Now you've got me dreamy...

Anonymous said...

Yay, it was Dead Poets Society! One of my most favorites! I think I cried for 2 days...