This Chinese Braised Oxtail is the definition of comfort food. It takes a few hours to make, but just one bowl is enough to hug your entire soul. I love it when braising sauces are a little sticky and sweet, so I added sugar and apple juice 🙂. Feel free to adjust this to your own taste.
This was actually my first time cooking oxtail, but my mom used to cook it a lot for us when we were kids. I've always seen oxtail at grocery stores but I never tried cooking it until now because it looked daunting. But I'm here to tell you it's actually very easy! It's not much different from other tough/inexpensive cuts of beef. I decided to braise it in the oven since that's what my mom always did.
What is Oxtail?
Oxtail is actually cut from the tail of the cow. It has a lot of connective tissue and fat so the best way to cook it is low and slow. After a few hours, oxtail gets tremendously soft and basically melts in your mouth.
How to sear the oxtail
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the oxtail until it's brown on both sides. After searing, there should be leftover brown bits on the bottom of the pot. The brown bits are extremely flavorful, and you do not want to throw them out. Add the aromatics and they will dissolve the brown bits from the pot. After that, add the rest of the braising ingredients and bring to a boil.
Adding vegetables
I always add some daikon or carrots to make the dish a more complete meal. Since the vegetables cook way faster, I usually add them in the last hour of braising. Once you add the veggies, the temperature of the braising liquid will go down. It's important to bring the liquid back to a boil before returning it to the oven otherwise the veggies won't cook. Just heat it on the stovetop for a few minutes.
Chinese Braised Oxtail
Ingredients
- 3 pounds oxtail
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 2 slices ginger
- ½ cup Chinese cooking wine
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 4 pieces star anise
- 1 pound daikon or carrots or potatoes (chopped into 2-inch chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250°F.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or wide stock pot over medium-high heat. Make sure the pot is big enough to fit all the oxtails in one layer.
- Add the oil and sear the oxtail on each side for 2 minutes until brown. Remove the oxtails to a plate.
- Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes until softened.
- Add the Chinese cooking wine, apple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce, and star anise.
- Add back the oxtail and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid (or tinfoil) and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours, flipping the oxtail once in between.
- Remove the pot from the oven and set it on the stovetop. Increase the oven temperature to 300°F.
- Add daikon to the pot, making sure the pieces are fully covered in the liquid. Bring the liquid back to a boil on high heat. Cover and transfer back to the oven. Continue cooking for another hour.
- If the daikon is still not soft, just keep cooking it for a bit longer. Enjoy!
Tracy H.
This looks delicious. I will try this recipe - thank you 🙂
Grumpy
Let me know how it goes!