Oxtail & Tongue with Rich Red Wine Sauce

Being a big fan of oxtail, I've been using it in stews together with other meat cuts almost every time I fire up my slow cooker or Dutch oven. Oxtail adds an amazing flavour and it's a great source of collagen which is important for bone health and immunity.

I got this recipe from the owner of a local farm and his suggestion was to cook it with ox tongue. It was a completely foreign ingredient to me and at first, I was sceptical about the texture which looks rather unappealing. But I gave it a try.

And you know what? This is one of the best stews I've tried and have been making it ever since. It's delicious, keto and budget friendly! In fact, you may find that some farmers will just give these meat cuts away for free as most people wouldn't buy them. If only they knew! :-)

Preparation time

Hands-on:    20 minutes
Overall:     3 hours 30 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving without sides)

Total Carbs	2.3	grams
Fiber	0.3	grams
Net Carbs	2	grams
Protein	36.9	grams
Fat	36.9	grams
of which Saturated	12	grams
Energy	530	kcal
Magnesium	169	mg (42% RDA)
Potassium	969	mg (49% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (2%), protein (30%), fat (68%)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings) Meat:

• 1 oxtail, cut into short lengths (700 g/ 1.5 lb)
• 1 whole fresh pork or ox tongue or one more oxtail (900 g/ 2 lb) - with skin, will yield about 90% meat after skin is removed
• piece of 3-inch (7 ½ cm) marrow bone - mine yielded about 2 oz/ 57 g bone marrow
• salt and pepper to taste

Note: Oxtail includes bones and will yield about 60% meat, while the tongue will yield about 90% meat after the skin is removed.

Vegetables and Aromatics for the Sauce:

• 2 large carrots, peeled roughly chopped (200 g/ 2.1 oz)
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped (300 g/ 10.1 oz)
• 1 turnip, roughly chopped (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
• zest of 1 medium organic orange
• bouquet garni made with fresh herbs (bunch of parsley and thyme) and 2-3 bay leaves
• ½ bottle good dry red wine such as Burgundy (350 ml/ 12 fl oz)

Note: Most of the above ingredients are used only to infuse the stock and are discarded. Nutrition facts are estimated using our Keto Bone Broth, plus additionally includes red wine.

Suggested Sides (I used a bit of all):

• Steamed kale and/or green beans
• Keto Cauli-Mash or Keto Celeriac Cauli-Mash

Instructions

1. If you have time, it's best to soak the oxtail and tongue in salted water for 1-2 hours. Scrub the oxtail pieces under running water and place in a large pot or a Dutch oven together with the tongue and marrow bone.
2. Peel and roughly chop the vegetables.
3. Zest the orange and make the bouquet garni by tying them together with an unwaxed kitchen string.
   
4. Place them on top of the oxtail, tongue and marrow bone, and add enough cold water to cover completely (to about three quarters of the total capacity of your pot).
5. Slowly bring to a simmer, skimming off the brown scum as it rises to the surface.
6. Cover and cook over a low heat for at least 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.
7. Remove the oxtail, tongue and marrow bone from the pot using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to cool down. Remove and discard the vegetables and spices, and then strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into another pot.
8. Add the wine and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat to reduce (I reduced mine to about 2 litres). When you have reached the reduction you require, take off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You should season at this point to prevent it from getting too salty.
9. While the sauce is reducing, remove the oxtail meat from the bones. Discard the bones and any large pieces of fat (unless you want to keep the fat in).
10. Peel the skin off the tongue and chop the meat into pieces. Discard the skin and the marrow bone.
11. Return the meat to the sauce and heat through. Serve with cauliflower mash and steamed vegetables such as kale and green beans.
    Note: To make this recipe in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, place all the ingredients in a preheated slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on high (or cook in an Instant Pot at "meat" pressure cooker mode). Then follow the recipe from Step 7.

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