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Oxtail Ragu

Oxtail Ragu-- Made with Frozen Tomatoes

Italian inspired oxtail recipe! Rich, flavorful oxtail is slowly braised in arrabbiata sauce until falling off the bone. Combine with Italian sausage, pappardelle pasta and parmesan, it’s a dream.
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Farm to table, Italian
Servings 12 people

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil
  • 16 lb tomatoes I used frozen, weighed prior to freezing, skins on
  • 6 onions chopped
  • 4 Anaheim peppers/green destemmed, chopped
  • 1 head garlic chopped
  • 8 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp salt Redmonds Real Salt
  • 2 tsp EACH rosemary and Italian seasonings
  • 1.5 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp EACH oregano and basil
  • 12 dates pitted
  • 3/4 cups dry red wine
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup butter 8 tbsp

Meat Ingredients

  • 3 lb oxtail cut into 3 inch chunks
  • 24 oz Italian sausage links cut into bite size chunks
  • 5 tbsp Olive oil divided
  • 2 tsp salt

Serving

  • 2 lb Pappardelle or any pasta
  • Parmesan

Instructions
 

  • DAY 1: Make sauce. If using frozen tomatoes, defrost. Drain excess water. Leave skins. Some of the core is fine, no stems.
  • Heat a stock pot over medium heat. Add enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Add onions and peppers. Sauté until softened.
  • Add garlic, salt, all herbs and dates. Cook until fragrant.
  • Deglaze with wine.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a low boil.
  • Simmer on low, around 4 hours. Should reduce around 2.5-3 inches.
  • Add butter. Mix until melted.
  • Let sauce cool down a bit then transfer to refrigerator.
  • DAY 2: Blend sauce until very smooth. No need to remove bay leaves.
  • Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
  • Salt oxtail. Drizzle with 3 tbsp oil. Roast 20 minutes on sheet pan.
  • In meantime, in a large stock pot, add 2 tbsp olive oil. Brown Italian sausage. Set aside. Refrigerate when cooled.
  • Add sauce to pot that browned the sausage. Set heat to low.
  • Add oxtail to sauce. Cook on low around 3 hours COVERED. Then, uncovered another 3-4 hours. (6 hours or so in total braising)
  • Remove meat from the bones. Should be very tender. Discard any fat that didn’t render.
  • Add sausage back to the sauce, warm through.
  • Serve with pappardelle and parmesan.

Notes

Keeps well for 4-5 days in fridge. Keep noodles separate.
Keyword Oxtail ragu, Pasta, Ragu