More than a year ago, Les M. wrote in search of an oxtail stew recipe he could make in his Crock-Pot. It’s taken a long time, but think of this recipe as slow-cooking in my brain.
This stew is rich with the flavors of anise and a Chinese rice wine called "shaoxing." For vegetable notes it features shiitake mushrooms (splurge on fresh if possible) and white baby bok choy. You could substitute any Chinese green from the choy family (green bok choy, kai choy or choy sum). If baby versions are unavailable, full-size is fine; just cut it up.
Another option: Most local recipes for oxtails call for parboiling first to remove impurities. Some packages of oxtails do look like they could use some sanitizing, but others are quite clean. Parboiling is an extra step that’s up to you.
This is a two-day recipe. Because oxtails are so fatty, the dish is much improved if refrigerated overnight so the fat congeals and can be discarded. I got 5 ounces of fat out of my oxtails. On the second day, warm the gravy on the stove top, thicken it, then add the meat and greens and simmer until heated through.
Serve the oxtails in all their bony glory if your dining audience enjoys sucking the meat off the bones. Or debone, if they’d prefer not to know they’re eating, well, tails.
SLOW-COOKER OXTAIL STEW, CHINESE STYLE
5 pounds beef oxtails
1 cup Chinese rice wine (shaoxing, see note)
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 star anise
2-inch piece ginger, cut in chunks and crushed
4 stalks lemongrass, tough green parts removed, crushed
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1-1/2 cups water
12 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dried)
1/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1 pound white baby bok choy (sometimes called pak choy or Shanghai cabbage) or other Chinese green
Parboil oxtails 10 to 15 minutes; discard water. Skip this step if your oxtails are not gristly or bloody.
Combine remaining ingredients, except tapioca starch and greens, in slow-cooker. Add oxtails. Stir. Cook on low 8 hours, or until meat is very tender.
Remove oxtails and mushrooms from liquid. Strain liquid. Debone oxtails if desired. Refrigerate in separate containers overnight.
The next day, discard congealed fat from liquid (there will be a lot) and bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more soy sauce, sugar or wine. Or, if flavor is too strong, add water. Gradually add tapioca starch mixture, stirring until liquid thickens to a light gravy (you may not need all the tapioca). Add oxtails, mushrooms and bok choy. Simmer until heated through. Serves 6.
Note: Shaoxing, sometimes called yellow wine or "shao hsing," is a Chinese cooking wine made from fermented rice, found near other cooking wines or vinegars in Asian markets. Do not substitute Japanese sake or mirin, which are sweeter, or American cooking wine. Better substitutes would be gin, dry sherry or dry white wine.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 300 calories, 10 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,500 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 28 g protein
———
Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813. Or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.
