This oxtail ragù with witbier and horseradish crumbs is the perfect winter warmer dish. Invite over your friends and family and dig in to this comforting oxtail ragù. We promise they will line up for seconds…
Oxtail ragù with witbier and horseradish crumbs
Ingredients
- 1kg oxtail
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 3 fresh rosemary stalks
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 x 500ml bottle Weiss beer (I use Darling Brew Bone Crusher)
- 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
Horseradish crumbs
- 6 slices white bread, coarsely torn
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 15ml (1 tbsp) horseradish sauce
- 500g gemelli/strozzapreti/other short pasta, to serve
- finely chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Season the oxtail with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, and cook the oxtail until deeply browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Add the vegetables to the same pot and cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Return the oxtail to the pot and add the beer and stock. The oxtail should be just covered. Top off with water if needed. Bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Braise the dish for 2 hours, checking after 1 hour to ensure the liquid has not evaporated. If so, add an additional 250ml (1 cup) water. Remove from oven, but leave the oven on. Take out the oxtail and, when cool enough to handle, shred the meat and return to the sauce. Discard the bones.
For the horseradish crumbs, toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and horseradish sauce and spread them out evenly on a baking tray. Bake in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Shake the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente or according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside. Bring the ragù to a simmer before tossing it into the pasta. Season to taste and serve the pasta topped with the horseradish crumbs and some finely chopped parsley.
Recipe by Neil Roake
