Smoked and Braised Oxtail with Romano Bean and Mushroom Ragout
Nothing beats a good braise. A long, low and slow cook does wonders for tough cuts of meat. The time and heat, breaks down the meat so beautifully that you end up with a fall-off the bone dish. You just have to be patient, because usually takes about a minimum of four hours to really get the benefits of that low and slow cook. If you know me, you know I am a big advocate of the reverse smoke/sear method, smoke low and slow then hit it hot and fast on a roaring hot grill. For steak and most cuts of meat that you want a rare or medium/medium-rare cook, this is the absolute best method to use. For braising, you do the opposite, and I can’t tell you enough to not skip searing/browning your meat first before you braise it. The heat from the grill renders the fat of the meat and creates a beautiful crust that ultimately adds to the flavour of your final dish. So don’t skip it. Just don’t. That was the very first step for this smoked and braised oxtail. I seasoned my oxtail medallions with salt and pepper and seared them on the Alchemy grill until that crust formed on all sides. The oxtail goes into a pot with a mixture of butter, chopped celery, carrot and onion and a can of tomatoes, and the whole pot goes into the smoker for about four hours.
While the oxtail cooked in the smoker, I made a delicious Romano bean and grilled mushroom ragout. In a cast iron pan on the grill, I added chopped leek, the Romano beans and ¼ lb of butter and mixed that together until the butter was melted. I squeeze in juice from half a lemon and then let that cook down and reduce. As the beans were reducing, I tossed my oyster mushrooms in canola oil and grilled them on the plancha until golden brown. Once the liquid had reduced in my beans, I added ¼ cup of chicken stock and let it simmer a little while longer and then mixed in the grilled mushrooms. The butter, lemon and chicken stock make the creamiest Romano beans, without any cream. The ragout is so so good, those grilled mushrooms add so much flavour, too.
Once the oxtail is done braising and you’re ready to serve, add the Romano bean and mushroom ragout to a shallow bowl, top with an oxtail medallion and pour some of the delicious tomato sauce from the braising pot on it. Add a healthy portion of grated parmesan cheese and season with some black pepper and you have one tasty dish. If you want to find out how to make my Smoked and Braised Oxtail with Romano Bean and Mushroom Ragout, keep reading or jump to the full recipe.
Set smoker to 275F. Season your oxtail medallions with salt and pepper.
Place on the grill to sear on all sides, until a nice crust forms.
Place a pot on the plancha, add in ½ lb of butter and let it melt. Meanwhile, finely chop your onion, carrot and celery. Add to the pot and stir, once slightly softened add in the seared oxtail.
Pour in the canned tomatoes, stir and break up the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
Season with salt and pepper and then place uncovered in the smoker. Allow to smoke for 4 hours, checking on it occasionally.
Drizzle your mushrooms with canola oil and place on the plancha to cook, flipping midway. Allow the mushrooms to brown and crisp up nicely. You can remove them from the grill and set aside if they are done.
Finely chop your leak. In a cast iron on the plancha, add in ¼ lb of butter and the leeks. Stir and let the butter melt and the leeks soften. Add in the can of drained and rinsed Romano beans. Squeeze the juice from one lemon over top, season with salt and pepper and stir.
Allow the liquid to reduce and then add in ¼ cup of chicken stock. Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook until the stock reduces.
To plate, place your mushroom and bean ragout in a shallow bowl. Place an oxtail medallion on the ragout and add some of the tomato sauce on top.
Finish with grated fresh parm and black pepper and dig in.
And now for the full recipe...
Smoked and Braised Oxtail with Romano Bean and Mushroom Ragout
Serves 3 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2-3 oxtail medallions
500ml canned tomatoes
4 celery sticks
½ onion
½ large carrot
½ lb butter
Bean and mushroom ragout:
500ml can romano beans
1 leek
Salt
Pepper
1 lemon
¼ cup chicken stock
¼ lb butter
2 pints oyster mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
How to Make Smoked and Braised Oxtail with Romano Bean and Mushroom Ragout
Set smoker to 275F.
Season your oxtail medallions with salt and pepper. Place on the grill to sear on all sides, until a nice crust forms.
Place a pot on the plancha, add in ½ lb of butter and let it melt. Meanwhile, finely chop your onion, carrot and celery. Add to the pot and stir, once slightly softened add in the seared oxtail. Pour in the canned tomatoes, stir and break up the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and then place uncovered in the smoker. Allow to smoke for 4 hours, checking on it occasionally.
Drizzle your mushrooms with canola oil and place on the plancha to cook, flipping midway. Allow the mushrooms to brown and crisp up nicely. You can remove them from the grill and set aside if they are done.
Finely chop your leek. In a cast iron on the plancha, add in ¼ lb of butter and the leeks. Stir and let the butter melt and the leeks soften. Add in the can of drained and rinsed romano beans. Squeeze the juice from one lemon over top, season with salt and pepper and stir. Allow the liquid to reduce and then add in ¼ cup of chicken stock. Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook until the stock reduces.
To plate, place your mushroom and bean ragout in a shallow bowl. Place an oxtail medallion on the ragout and add some of the tomato sauce on top. Finish with grated fresh parm and black pepper.
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