Recipe - Chez Henris Cuban-Style Braised Oxtail

8 pound Oxtail trimmed of fat; cut
in 2" segments
2 cup Finely chopped onions
2 cup Finely chopped carrots
One half cup Chopped celery
One half cup Red bell pepper; minced
One half cup Green bell pepper; minced
3 Cloves garlic; minced
3 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Ground coriander seed
2 Bay leaves
One fourth cup Capers; rinsed
3 cup Canned tomatoes with their
juice; chopped
4 cup Beef stock
One half cup Chopped fresh cilantro; for
garnish
6 sl Garlic toast

Paul O'Connell of Chez Henri's in Cambridge serves this rustic dish, which
is Cuban with a strong Spanish influence. It's piquant with peppers,
tomatoes, capers, and spices. Do not be put off by the ingredient list: The
dish is easy and uncomplicated to make while full of flavor.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the oxtail in a highsided roasting
pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning it once. Remove it from
the oven and ppour off the rendered fat.

Distribute all the vegetables and spices including the cumin, coriander
seed, bay leaves, and capers around the oxtail. Pour the tomatoes and
beef stock over the oxtail with enough water to cover. Place in the hot
oven for 1 hour. Check every 15 to 20 minutes and stir with a spoon to
break up any crust that forms (add water if it seems dry). After 1 hour
reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking until the oxtail is
done, about 1 hour more. Pull one large ppiece of oxtail to check for
doneness: The meat should fall from the bone. Remove the oxtail from the
sauce and skim off as much fat as you can.

Let the oxtail cool and chill overnight in a container, covered with the
sauce. When cold, remove the layer of solidified fat on the surface. To
serve, slowly reheat the oxtail in the sauce and stir in the chopped
cilantro. Serve the oxtail in bowls, the sauce spooned over it, with garlic
toast and sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Compliments of Garry's Home Cookin' http://www.netrelief.com/cooking Garry
Howard Cambridge, MA garry@netrelief.com

Recipe by: Boston Globe 3/18/98

Posted to MCRecipe Digest by "Garry Howard" garry@netrelief.com on Mar
21, 1998