Oxtail Sauce Recipe

Oxtail Sauce Recipe

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds meaty oxtail pieces
  • 3 celery ribs with leaves, chopped fine
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped fine
  • 5 stems fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 3 cups Beef Broth
  • 6 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and crushed , or 6 canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 to 6 cremini mushrooms
  1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the oxtail pieces in one layer and do not stir until the undersides are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn them over and brown the other sides, about 8 minutes longer. Using tongs, move the oxtail to a bowl, leaving behind the oily fat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, and thyme to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and scrape up any sticky bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  2. Return the oxtail pieces and any drippings to the pot. Pour in the broth. Mix in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally, adding a little water if the broth reduces below the halfway mark of the oxtail.
  3. Using tongs, move the oxtail pieces to a bowl and allow them to cool as the sauce continues to simmer. Quarter the mushrooms, mix them into the sauce, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, pull the oxtail meat off the bones, discard the bones, and mix the meat back into the sauce. Immediately stir in the cooked gnocchi, cook for 1 minute to heat through, and serve.