Braised Oxtails

I'm here to confess one of my guiltiest pleasures--no, it's not chocolate or fine champagne--it's oxtails! Look up the word "unctious" in the dictionary--you should see a picture of some braised oxtails! My husband and kids won't go near them, so I wait until he's away on a business trip and order McDonald's for the kids. Then I steal away to the grocery store and pick out a package of the meatiest oxtails I can find. Patience is required for this endeavor as this is no 30-minute meal. The pressure cooker can be a timesaver, but perfectly cooked oxtails will still take at least 2 hours.

Serve over steamed rice or even better, mashed potatoes.

Braised Oxtails

2 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup flour

4 pounds oxtails

1 onion, chopped

4 celery ribs, chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices

14 oz can whole tomatoes

1 cup red wine

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pressure Cooker:

Preheat oven to 350. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker oven and brown the oxtails on all sides. Add onion, celery, garlic cloves, tomatoes, red wine, bay leaf and thyme. Bake, covered for 2 hours. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Release pressure and carefully place oxtails, vegetables and liquid into a 9x12 baking pan. Add carrots to the pan. Place baking pan in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes.

Note: This recipe can also be made in a dutch oven. Simply bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 2 and a half hours. Then remove the lid, add carrots, and bake an additional 30-45 minutes.

Serves 4