Oxtail Ragú over 4-Cheese Macaroni

Although it is officially Spring, you'd never be able to tell it by the snow boots still strewn all over our entryway.  Instead of witnessing quiet birds huddled together in the tree in my front yard, I want to hear a raucous racket of tweets and chirps that won't let me sleep!  I want to see tender green shoots with buds emerging from the ground, as opposed to those brittle remains of the last time we didn't have to pull on hats and gloves when we walked out the front door.

Phil lied.  I always knew he was unreliable.

So, it's with visions of Spring cleaning (really) in my head, I'm balancing bouts of cabin fever with a few last hurrahs of hunkering down with comfort food.  I know it shouldn't be stick-to-your-ribs meal time anymore.  I do.  However, I find braised meat that is not only pull-apart tender, but rich and warm like a blanket, enough to make me enjoy this still-frigid weather.  Winter's final hurrah, if  you will.

But don't tell Phil I said that.  I'm still not talking to him.

Oxtail Ragú over 4-Cheese Macaroni

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 30 minutes (includes meat-pull

Cook Time: ~2½ hours

Keywords: braised entree beef cheese pasta oxtails

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

for the oxtail ragu:

• 3 lbs. oxtails, 2-inch sections
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. olive, corn, or vegetable oil
• ~1 c. all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 small onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
• 1 small carrot, carrot
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 c. red wine
• 2 c. Pomì strained tomatoes
• 3 c. beef stock or broth

for the four-cheese macaroni:

• 1 lb. cavatappi
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. whole milk
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground white pepper
• 18 oz. shredded white cheese (I used a mixture of Aged Irish Cheddar, Dubliner, Gouda, and Swiss)

to serve:

• fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

making the oxtail ragu:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Trim any excess fat from oxtails and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until it is very, very hot. Add prepared oxtails and sear them on all sides until browned, ~8-10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Drain all but one tablespoon of grease from the pot and return to heat.

Add onions to same pot, stirring almost constantly, until browned, ~5-7 mins. Add garlic, carrot, and herbs to the pot and saute for another 5 minutes. Add wine and let bubble for about 1 minute. Add the Pomì tomatoes and the beef stock and bring to a boil; let bubble for 5-10 minutes before carefully adding the oxtails to the pot. Cover and slide into preheated oven for 1½-2 hours, or until meat is falling off bone.

Remove pot from oven and carefully remove oxtails to a bowl or plate. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and shred into small pieces with a fork. Also remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf at this point.

Discard the bones (or save for another purpose, if you wish. I give mine to my husband and he gets ridiculously giddy).

Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, and then return the shredded meat to the pot. At this point, you should have a very thick ragú. If by chance it is not thick, set over medium heat and reduce until thick. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.

Serve over 4-Cheese Macaroni, sprinkled with parsley.

making the Macaroni and Cheese

When the ragu is almost ready to come out of the oven, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the cavatappi and boil for 8 minutes.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and whisk in the flour to form a roux; cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, salt, and white pepper until smooth and bring just to the simmer. Let bubble until thick and then turn off heat. Whisk in the cheeses until melted.

Drain the cavatappi and toss with the cheese sauce. Serve immediately with the oxtail ragu over the top.

notes:

Refrigerate leftovers tightly covered for up to 3 days.

Powered by Recipage

And by Phil, I mean that lying groundhog.

I received two free cartons of Pomì Tomatoes for tasting purposes.  All opinions stated in this post are my own.

Caldo de Res ...or is it Mole de Olla!? {Red Chile Beef Soup w/ Vegetables}

Caldo de Res and Mole de Olla are not necessarily the same thing.  But since dishes vary from region to region, sometimes they can overlap.  The recipe that I based this Caldo de Res on was actually labeled Mole de Olla.  But mi esposo and local Mexican friends tell me NO!  It's not Mole de Olla, it's Caldo de Res.  Confused much?  I asked hubby just what the difference is...and he says he doesn't really know.  I tried researching it a bit, but when I find pictures or descriptions of one or the other, they somewhat overlap.  Perhaps some regions leave the chiles out of their Caldo de Res?*  Perhaps some leave it out of their Olla de Mole?  After a few hours of hair pulling and trying to figure out here from there, I just gave in and decided it could be either-or.  I really do think it boils down to who is making it.  Methods seems to vary from region to region, city to city, family to family, and cook to cook.

When I talked about the different types of moles the other day, I mentioned that although not a sauce, Mole de Olla still qualifies as a mole in the broader sense of its original meaning of stew or sauce.  Looking at the meaning of the terms...Olla is actually the name of the pot that something is (traditionally) cooked in ...a tall, narrow earthenware pot.  So, originally...a soupy mole that simmered in an olla.  A caldo is basically a soup or broth.  So...a meaty broth in this case, if you will.

Yeah.  I'm still not any closer to deciphering the two.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on either.  If you've tried them.  If you make them.  What is your version, or the version you know you like?  And if you know the region of Mexico your version came from, I'd love to know that as well.  No matter the name, this is a rich, brothy soup laden with meat, chile, and veggies that is sure to satisfy.

Caldo de Res (or Mole de Olla)

Red Chile Beef Soup w/ Vegetables

inspired by & adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

yield: ~3 quarts

1 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1½" chunks

1½ lb. oxtails, in 2" pcs.

~1 tsp. sea salt

2 small white onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 bay leaves

¼ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

⅛ tsp. ground cloves

~¾ oz. dried guajillo chiles, seeded & stemmed

~¾ oz. dried ancho chiles, seeded & stemmed

1 medium, very ripe tomato

small handful cilantro (or 5 sprigs epazote)

2 large carrots, sliced ¼" thick

2 medium zucchini, ½" dice

2 ears corn, husked & cut into 1" sections

4 oz. fresh green beans, snipped & halved

for serving:

white onion, finely diced

lime wedges

Place the meat in a large (should hold at least 6 quarts) soup pot or Dutch oven with 3 quarts of cold water.  Bring to a bowl, skimming of any gray scum/foam that rises to the top (these are the impurities and you don't want them in your soup).  Once the water is boiling, put heat on medium-low.  After the scum has all been skimmed off add salt, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, pepper, and cloves to the pot.  Partially cover the pot and simmer it for ~1½ hours.  

While the broth is gently bubbling, rip the chiles open and toast them on a heavy skillet over medium heat for just a few seconds per side.  Place in a bowl and cover with very hot water.  Put a plate on top to keep the chiles submerged and let them sit for ~30 minutes.   Add chiles to the jar of a blender along with the tomato and 3 Tbs. of water.  Process until very smooth.  Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside.

After the hour and a half is up, skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you can.  Stir in the chile puree and the cilantro (or epazote).  Partially cover again and simmer gently for another 30 minutes.

Uncover the pot and turn up the heat to medium-high.  Add the veggies and cook until just tender, ~10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure to put some of everything in each bowl.  Pass the diced onion and lime wedges for everybody to add to their bowls as they like.

*Update: ...and yes, I'm told that Caldos usually are just the broth, without chile.  When you add chiles, it turns into the Mole.  Although, I'm guessing it has evolved over generations, like in my hubby's (and many others) family.  He grew up with chiles in his Caldo de Res.  But I do believe to be technically correct, without chile equals caldo and with equals mole. 

Today is the 3 year anniversary of Souper Sundays which is hosted weekly by my friend Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  Be sure to head over there this evening and check out all of the wonderful soups (plus salads and sandwiches) she's rounding up for this celebration!

I am sharing this post with:

Gnocchi with Oxtail Ragú

Show Stopper.  That's what this is.  Rich and decadent and so complex that your mind will surrender to the bliss brought on bite after silky bite.  I wouldn't recommend serving this on a first date...unless you want to see your new love interest cry.  The sheer intensity is likely to leave even the most composed individual staring through eyes filled with salty tears.  Instead, set this in front someone in need of comfort.  Of reassurance.  Of proof that there is always something to look forward to in this trying world.  As the scent wraps its embrace around them...and the texture engages their tongue in ecstasy...and their bellies are caressed by its warm, tender hand...all of their troubles will fall away.

Gnocchi w/ Oxtail Ragú

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2.5-3 hours

Keywords: braised entree sauce oxtails tomatoes beef Italian winter

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 3 lbs. Oxtails, cut into ~2" pieces
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• flour, for dredging
• 2 small onions, sliced "¼ thick
• 2 c. red wine
• 3 c. beef stock or broth
• 1 c. Basic Tomato Sauce (see recipe below)
• few fresh sprigs of thyme
• 1-1½ lb. gnocchi

for serving:

• freshly grated Parmesan
• Italian Parsley

for the Basic Tomato Sauce:

• ¼ c. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• a few sprigs fresh thyme
• ½ medium carrot,shredded
• 2 (28 oz.) cans peeled, whole tomatoes
• kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Trim any excess fat from oxtails and season liberally with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over high heat until it is just smoking. Quickly dredge the oxtails in flour and sear them on all sides until browned, ~8-10 mins. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add onions to same pot, stirring almost constantly, until browned, ~5-7 mins. Add wine, stock, tomato sauce, and thyme sprigs. Bring mixture to a boil. Return oxtails to pot, submerging in liquid, and return the pot to a boil.

Cover pot and cook in oven for 1½-2 hours, or until meat is falling off bone. Remove pot from oven and carefully remove oxtails. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and shred into small pieces with a fork. You can also remove the thyme sprigs at this point.

Discard the bones (or save for another purpose, if you wish).

With a small ladle, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then allow to reduce to a very thick ragú. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Now. Either proceed with the next step immediately, or cool down the ragú and refrigerate until ready to use, like I did. I then scooped individual serving sizes into a skillet and reheated it over a low heat. Cook your gnocchi and ladle it into your pan (I cooked about ¼" at a time), bringing a bit of the cooking water with it...just what's stuck to the slotted spoon and pasta. Toss with ragú until gnocchi is well coated.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and some chopped, fresh Italian Parsley.

to make the Basic Tomato Sauce (yield: 4 cups):

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 3-qt. saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, ~8-10 mins. Add thyme and carrot until carrot is soft, ~5 more mins. With your hands, crush the tomatoes into the pot and add the rest of juice from the can. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for ~30 mins, or until thick like hot cereal. Season to taste with salt.

Use immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week (or freeze up to 6 months).

-adapted from The Babbo Cookbook

Kare Kare (a traditional Filipino dish)

How is it that something brand-new can seem so familiar?  I'm standing in my kitchen, thirty four years old, one minute...and the next, I'm thirteen years old again and running up my friend Christine's staircase.  The one in her gigantic or so it seemed house. My bangs are plastered up...the sides of my hair plastered out.  Waterfalls and wings.  My stocking covered toes are digging into the plush carpet as I practice my dance moves and sing along to Paula Abdul ...he's a cold-hearted snake.... Christine hands me her camera so I can take a picture of her with her larger-than-life-sized poster of Martin Gore and the rest of the Depeche Mode guys (though he's the one she has a crush on).   These are the things that I remember on the surface...but underneath lies the exotic, seductive smell memories.  The ones that crept out of the kitchen where her tiny Filipino grandma was every single time I went to her house.  And I was at her house a LOT!  We would walk through the front doors- double doors... that was unheard of...to me. ...and the scent would begin to seduce me.

I'm sure that underneath that mysterious medley, there were individual scents that I would recognize if given the opportunity, but by the time we walked through the doors, they were already in the midst of their heady marriage and my chance to take a peek had vanished.   I was always mesmerized by those unfamiliar smells that came from Christine's kitchen.  And yet, looking back, I cannot remember ever eating a meal in her Filipino kitchen.  Not once.  I mean, how does two years of being close friends with a 100% Filipino somebody pass by without ever sitting down to an authentic Filipino meal?  We ordered a lot of pizza.  That I remember.  Could it be that thing that first generation children go through?  Trying to "forget" their ethnic identities and just blend in with their friends?  I'm thinking it probably was...although I wish that my thirteen year old self had just once thought to ask her friend if she could eat a home cooked, authentic-Filipino meal that her grandma had made.  Typical kid.

Oxtail Stew from the new BloggerAid-CFF Cookbook!

"It is no secret that the world is facing a global food crisis... In 2009, BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine (BA-CFF) was born from a vision that ordinary people cn achieve extraordinary results... We understood immediately that food bloggers could best relate to a cookbook." ~excerpts from the Preface to the BA-CFF CookbookThe minute I received notice that our cookbook was ready for sale...I was on it! This gorgeous collaboration by food bloggers from all around the world is such a source of pride to me. Do you remember when I posted a picture of my recipe contribution, Lentil Burgers...what seems like oh so many months ago? Well, my recipe is now on page 133. Big smile!! This book is diverse and colorful and filled with quotes and sayings and introductions to each of the 140 (I believe) food bloggers that contributed to this book! I've mentioned before that I am a big baby, right? I cry at commercials, books, movies, kids recitals, songs, blog posts...you name it...so it probably won't be a big shocker when I tell you that simply reading the preface brought tears to my eyes. Seeing my recipe and some of food blogging friends recipes brought tears to my eyes. Holding this amazing labor of love in my two hands...the feel of the cover and the pages on my fingers...you guessed it...brought tears to my eyes. But most of all, remembering the fact that all that's 100% of the proceeds from the sale of our book, is going to benefit hungry children. The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP)'s School Meals program feeds an average of 22 million hungry children each year. As a mom...as a human being...this tugs at my heart as well as my tear ducts. Won't you please help feed and nourish and educate those less fortunate by clicking HERE and purchasing our new BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine Cookbook? And why not get involved by joining BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine?

Are you ready for one of the many diverse recipes from the book? This one in particular is something I have been wanting...meaning...to make for a long time, but for some reason just hadn't gotten around to it. In all honesty, I'd never even tried this "cut" of meat before. An oxtail is just as it sounds. While going through my book, I came across a recipe from Giz & Psychgrad of Equal Opportunity Kitchen for Oxtail Stew...and thought it looked and sounded so dreamy and comforting...and then I found a couple pounds of oxtail at the store a day or so later...fate. Let me tell you, if you've never tried oxtail...you must! It is rich and silky and absolutely delicious!

Oxtail Stew

from Equal Opportunity Kitchen via the BloggerAid-CFF Cookbook

yield: 2-4 svgs.

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

2-3 lb. Oxtails, fat trimmed

salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 large onion, diced I sliced them thinly

2 large carrots, peeled & thinly sliced

1/4 lb. pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/4" strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. homemade or reduced sodium beef broth I used chicken broth

1 c. dry white wine

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes I used whole tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme I used a bit more

garnish: fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped I just used curly

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Pat oxtails dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown in batches on all sides (~5 minutes per batch). Don't over crowd the pan as it will not allow oxtails to brown effectively. Transfer oxtails to a dish and set aside.

Add onion, carrots and bacon to pot and sauté in oxtail drippings until the onions are softened and the bacon begins to turn brown, ~10 minutes. I had a lot of fat from my bacon here, so I actually drained most of it off before moving on to next step.

Return oxtails to the pot. Add broth, wine, tomatoes (w/ their juices), bay leaf, thyme, salt & pepper. Raise heat, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, simmering the oxtails until they are very tender; ~3 hours. Skim any foam that may rise to the surface. Transfer to a serving plate and top with freshly chopped parsley. I also served it over some warm polenta w/ parmesan.There is also a link on my sidebar to purchase the book...at any time! So, as if helping feed hungry children weren't more than a great reason to check out this cookbook...imagine 139-ish more recipes equally as tempting, yet completely diverse to delve into!!

I'm also sending this over to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays this week.