If, you tried our pasta with braised oxtail ragu sauce recipe, you’re probably thinking: “What’s so special about this oxtail ragu compared to the last one?” Valid question, really. After all, this dish is our ongoing saga of trying to one-up our original braised oxtail ragu recipe. And guess what? We’ve even found a side dish to go with it. Because who doesn’t want more ways to enjoy their Italian fix, right? And importantly, let’s not forget about wine pairing suggestions. Because, let’s face it, good food is always better with good wine. Cheers to that!
Wine Pairing Recommendations
When it comes to pairing our creamy polenta and oxtail ragu with wine, we’ve got the usual suspects that we will talk about later. But, first, we’ve got a surprise wine pairing that will make you smack your lips and bob your head in satisfaction. Yes, it is that good! Our surprise wine pairing recommendation is Merlot! Its medium to full body, soft tannins, and fruit-forward flavors make it an excellent boozy companion for dishes featuring creamy polenta and decadent, meaty sauces.
Now, for those craving an Italian escapade without the pricey plane ticket: for those folks, we’re not even considering anything but the best Italian reds. Seriously, why bother with anything else when you can have a perfect taste of Italy with a Chianti Classico, Nebbiolo D’Alba or a Barolo? It’s like having your own little Italian getaway at your dinner table! Here’s to keeping it real with some Italian flair! Cheers to that!
Recipe at a glance
| Course: Dinner | Cuisine: Italian | Servings: 8 |
| Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Idle Time: 4 hrs |
The low-maintenance magic of slow braised oxtail ragu
Important to note, the cook time may sound like you’d be tethered to the kitchen for hours to make this dish. Nothing could be further from the truth! Once you’ve put your Dutch oven with all the ingredients into the oven, you can kick back, take a leisurely stroll, and go about whatever catches your fancy without sparing a second thought for the oxtail ragu. It’s kitchen alchemy at its most laid-back!
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ pounds (1.13 kg) oxtails, trimmed of excess fat
- 1/3 cup (50 g.) double smoked bacon, diced
- 3 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup celery stalks, diced
- 1 ½ cup (240 ml) red wine (such as Chianti)
- 1 cans (28 oz/800 g each) diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3 cloves
- 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup (240 ml) water (you may only need to use ½ of this quantity)
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup whipping cream
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- olive oil for frying
- fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Substitutions:
- First, oxtails are the main ingredient in this dish. There’s really no other option that works as well.
- Second, for wine, it’s best to go with Italian medium-bodied red wine. If you don’t have any, any medium-bodied red should do.
- Lastly, when making polenta, you can substitute milk for cream or skip it entirely. You can also adjust the amount of water and chicken stock, or leave out the chicken stock altogether. Just be careful, if you skip both milk and chicken stock, your polenta won’t turn out creamy at all!
What is polenta?
Polenta is a traditional Italian dish made from ground cornmeal. It has a creamy texture when cooked and can be served soft, like a porridge, or allowed to set and then sliced and grilled, fried, or baked. Polenta is commonly served as a side dish, similar to rice or potatoes, but it can also be used as a base for various toppings or sauces.
When it comes to different types of polenta, they are mainly categorized by the coarseness of the cornmeal grind:
- Coarse Polenta: This type of polenta has a more rustic texture due to the coarser grind of the cornmeal. It retains a bit of bite after cooking. We often use this polenta type for grilling or baking.
- Medium Polenta: Next, is medium-grind polenta that is the most versatile of all polenta options. You can use this polenta grind for both creamy and firm polenta dishes. It strikes a balance between coarse and fine textures.
- Fine Polenta: Finely ground polenta produces a smoother, creamier texture when cooked. It’s great for making soft polenta dishes.
To make this recipe you can use whatever grind of polenta you want to use. We used medium grind in our dish.
Additionally, there’s instant polenta, which comes pre-cooked and molded into a specific shape and consistency. Often, instant polenta is sliced into rounds and fried. Do not use it for this recipe. Our recipe requires polenta to be soft and cooked to a porridge consistency.
What is braising cooking method used to make this oxtail ragu?
Braising is a cooking method where food is slowly cooked in a covered pot or Dutch oven with a bit of liquid. Typically, you’ll be doing braising in the oven. It’s often called the “low and slow” approach because it involves slow cooking at low temperatures. This technique is popular for tougher cuts of meat. Braising helps tough meat become tender and juicy by breaking down the collagen into gelatin, resulting in a tender and succulent texture of the braised meats.
What is a suitable temperature range for braising?
It must be remembered, to do braising properly, you must do it at low temperatures. For this reason, the ideal temperature range for braising is generally between 200°F to 280°F (93°C to 138°C) depending on the type of the meat you are planning to braise. Given these points, we recommend setting the oven to 280°F. If you wish, you can set your oven to a lower temperature, but the process for a meat to get to the fork-tender, fall-off-the-bone stage will take a much longer time.
Why let your oxtail ragu sit overnight?
To point out, letting a ragu sit overnight is a technique often recommended in cooking. This technique works for slow-cooked sauces, stews, and braises, like oxtail ragu. In summary, these are the main reasons why letting the ragu rest overnight is a good idea:
- Flavor Development: Firstly, allowing the ragu to sit allows the flavors to meld and develop more fully. It makes the dish taste richer and deeper.
- Fat Separation: When you refrigerate ragu overnight, any excess fat will solidify on the surface. You can then easily skim it off the surface and get rid of. As a result you’ll have a lighter and less oily final dish.
- Better Texture: Additionally, allowing the ragu to cool overnight helps it to thicken up as the liquid settles. This can give it a smoother and thicker texture, making the sauce stick better to pasta or other foods you serve it with.
Tools to use in this recipe
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Instructions
Frying Oxtail Ragu Ingredients:
- Season the oxtails generously with salt and black pepper. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtails on all sides until golden brown. Remove the oxtails and set them aside.
- First thing to remember, if your pan is not large enough you may have to do this in batches given that the key to success is not to overcrowd the pan when browning the oxtails. Drain almost all of the rendered fat but leave about 1 ½ tbsp. in the pot; this will be used to cook vegetables.
- In the same pot, add bacon and fry it to render bacon fat, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add chopped onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. 5-8 minutes.
- Add cocoa powder and mix to combine. Saute briefly, 1 minute, the most.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 5-8 minutes
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, cloves and thyme. Stir to combine. Then, bring everything to a boil.
Making oxtail ragu:
- Return the browned oxtails to the pot. Pour in the water, just enough so that the oxtails are mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise the oxtails in the oven for about 3 to 4 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.
- In the meantime, about 1 to ½ hours before your ragu is ready, soak the raisins in cold water. Then, drain and rinse them once more before setting them aside. When your ragu has about 20 minutes left to cook and the oxtails are fork-tender, add the raisins and return the ragu to the oven.
- Once you finished cooking the ragu, remove the pot from the oven and allow the ragu to cool until it’s safe to handle. For best results, let the ragu sit overnight before using it. This allows the flavors to meld together even more. This oxtail ragu can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Unsurprisingly, this is a convenient dish to enjoy throughout the week, provided you prepare a large batch of it.
- Remove any excess fat from the oxtrail ragu. Additionally, remove all aromatics ( bay leaf, cloves, thyme)
- Use tongs to transfer the oxtails to a cutting board. Separate meat from the bones. If desired shred the meat using a fork. Discard the bones.
- Return the oxtail meat to the pot with the sauce. Mix together.
- If you are reheating the dish, put the pot into the oven preheated to 325 F (163 C). Warm it till the meat and sauce bubbles slightly, about 15 -20 minutes
Preparing creamy polenta:
- Begin preparing the creamy polenta once your oxtrail ragu is fully cooked and ready to be served.
- In a pot of suitable size, combine the cornmeal, water, and chicken stock.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently.
- Once the polenta starts to boil gently, reduce the heat and continue whisking.
- As the polenta thickens, gradually add milk or cream while whisking continuously to ensure it’s fully incorporated into the polenta.
- Keep whisking throughout the cooking process, which may take between 15 to 30 minutes depending on the type of polenta used. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If the polenta becomes too thick, you can add a little water or chicken stock. Be sure to whisk the polenta thoroughly after adding any liquids to fully incorporate them.
- The polenta is ready when it’s creamy and smooth, similar in consistency to porridge, and no longer tough or crunchy.
Plate the Dish:
- First, spread polenta at the bottom of the serving dish. Then, top if with oxtail ragu. Lastly, generously spoon the red wine- tomato-vegetable sauce over the polenta and oxtail ragu.
- Grate fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and top with chopped fresh parsley.
Recipe Card
Creamy Polenta with Oxtail Ragu
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds 1.13 kg oxtails, trimmed of excess fat
- 1/3 cup 50 g. double smoked bacon, diced
- 3 cups yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups carrots peeled and diced
- 1 cup celery stalks diced
- 1 ½ cup 240 ml red wine (such as Chianti)
- 1 cans 28 oz/800 g each diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3 cloves
- 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup 240 ml water (you may only need to use ½ of this quantity)
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- olive oil for frying
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
Frying Oxtail Ragu Ingredients:
- Season the oxtails generously with salt and black pepper. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtails on all sides until golden brown. Remove the oxtails and set them aside.
- If you pan is not large enough you may have to do it in batches as the key is not to overcrowd the pan when browning the oxtails. Drain almost all of the rendered fat but leave about 1 ½ tbsp. in the pot; this will be used to cook vegetables.
- In the same pot, add bacon and fry it to render bacon fat, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add chopped onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until all the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. 5-8 minutes.
- Add cocoa powder and mix to combine. Saute briefly, 1 minute, the most.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 5-8 minutes
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, cloves and thyme. Stir to combine. Then, bring everything to a boil.
Making oxtail ragu:
- Return the browned oxtails to the pot. Pour in the water, just enough so that the oxtails are mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise the oxtails in the oven for about 3 to 4 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.
- About 1 to ½ hours before your ragu is ready, soak the raisins in cold water. Then, drain and rinse them once more before setting them aside. When your ragu has about 20 minutes left to cook and the oxtails are fork-tender, add the raisins and return the ragu to the oven.
- Once the ragu is finished cooking, remove the pot from the oven and allow the ragu to cool until it's safe to handle. For best results, let the ragu sit overnight before using it. This allows the flavors to meld together even more. This oxtail ragu can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Remove any excess fat from your ragu. Additionally, remove all aromatics ( bay leaf, cloves, thyme)
- Use tongs to transfer the oxtails to a cutting board. Separate meat from the bones. If desired shred the meat using a fork. Discard the bones.
- Return the shredded meat to the pot with the sauce. Mix together.
- If you are reheating the dish, put the pot into the oven set preheated to 325F (163C). Cook till the meat and sauce bubbles slightly, about 15 -20 minutes
Preparing creamy polenta:
- Begin preparing the creamy polenta once your ragu is fully cooked and ready to be served.
- In a pot of suitable size, combine the cornmeal, water, and chicken stock.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently.
- Once the polenta starts to boil gently, reduce the heat and continue whisking.
- As the polenta thickens, gradually add milk or cream while whisking continuously to ensure it’s fully incorporated.
- Keep whisking throughout the cooking process, which may take between 15 to 30 minutes depending on the type of polenta used. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If the polenta becomes too thick, you can add a little water or chicken stock. Be sure to whisk the polenta thoroughly after adding any liquids to fully incorporate them.
- The polenta is ready when it’s creamy and smooth, similar in consistency to porridge, and no longer tough or crunchy.
Plate the Dish:
- Spread polenta at the bottom of the serving dish. Top if with oxtail ragu. Then generously spoon the red wine- tomat- vegetable sauce over the polenta and oxtail ragu.
- Grate fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and top with chopped fresh parsley
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