Tinned beef consomme braised oxtail cooked in a delicious, rich sauce is pull-apart tender, unctuous and perfect served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. Slow braised oxtail on mashed potatoes. Oxtail is the meat from the tail of a cow. It is cut into sections and perfect for slow cooking.
The unctuous meat falls off the bone and is similar to slow cooked short ribs but so much more flavorful and delicious. How to cook oxtails Oxtail is a tough cut of meat full of connective tissue that needs to be cooked low and slow in liquid to break down properly. You can do this on the stove, in the oven or in an Instant Pot. Brown the oxtail: As with any stew, start by browning the meat well in a large, deep pot or casserole. Once the meat is browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Make the stew: In the same pot, sauté the onion, celery and carrots until golden and just starting to soften. Add the garlic and herbs and sauté for another minute.
Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce for a few minutes then pour in the tomatoes. Add the meat back into the pot and pour in the beef stock or broth. Add just enough stock to cover.
Finish the oxtail stew: Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Serve: Serve with the sauce over a side dish of your choice. What to serve with braised oxtail? Oxtail will take approximately 3 hours to cook slowly in liquid set over medium-low heat, depending on the size of the oxtails. You can also cook oxtail in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker for approximately 45 minutes. In a slow cooker, oxtail can take up to 10 hours to cook.
Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until golden and just starting to soften. Add the red wine and allow to reduce slightly. Add the tomatoes and the oxtail back to the pot. Pour in the stock, just enough to cover the oxtail. Bring up to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 3 hours. Check every 45 minutes if the oxtail needs more stock and top up as needed.