Oxtail Ragù over Polenta (Sous-vide)

(OP- 2017) Kenneth Wortley "Beautiful. A classic combination. There's something that seems to be so hard-wired to our DNA with the golden browned meat, mushrooms, and Creamy Polenta. It warms not just you but your soul. Nicely done"

 Kind words by a friend in a food group I belong to. I was thinking of ways to start this post, and he summed it up in just a few words. Thanks, Kenneth. 

You're looking at almost 7 lbs of Oxtail. When you buy Oxtail, you must be cognizant of the Bone to Meat Ratio. You might need to adjust your purchase based on your needs. 

I've Sous-Vide-Processed Oxtail several times and have finally nailed down the Time & Temperature. This T/T is specific to this dish, as are the techniques. If I were going to make Oxtail Ravioli or something different, I would tweak just a bit. 

First things first... I sprinkled some salt (I did not measure) on the Oxtail to dry-brine. As some of you know, I am a massive fan of Dry-Brining all proteins. The advantages have been discussed many times over and cannot be underestimated. The Oxtails were Dry-Brined and refrigerated for 24 hours.

This step is essential and can't be skipped.

After the 24-hour Dry-Brine, a Pre-Sear is necessary. Some advantages of a Pre-Sear are... Melts Surface Fat and enhances the Maillard reaction. This step is essential to develop additional flavors that can only be accomplished with a sear. Simply put, a hard sear evaporates surface moisture and concentrates the flavors. 

A Pre-Sear will also kill surface Bacteria and can begin the Maillard flavors.

Note: I am in the middle of researching and writing an article on Pre-Searing proteins. It's forthcoming so stay tuned. 

Note: Many think that Lactobacilli bloom is the cause of bags inflating and giving off smells; it still needs to be researched. I am not convinced that this is the end-all, and Food scientists would need to test this hypothesis. Many articles have been dedicated to this subject, but it's all hyperbole. So here are some thoughts from me. From what I have read, Lactobacillus can still proliferate up to 138f. I am starting out at 167f; this becomes moot, IMO. That being said, Killing surface bacteria with a pre-sear too.

After the Pre-Sear, I placed Oxtails in the freezer to cool off rapidly. I then vac-sealed (double bagged). On longs cooks at high temps, I always double bag. 

Sous-Vide-Processed at 167f for 30 hrs. 

After the jacuzzi soak, I shocked the Oxtails in an Ice-Bath. Notice the big chunks of ice? I have several large containers in my freezer for shocking. After the Shock, the proteins were placed in the refrigerator until I was ready to finish the dish. 

You don't think I forgot about the delectable Fond after the Sear, do you? Fond is French for "Base" and commonly refers to browned bits and caramelized drippings stuck to the pan's bottom after searing or sauteing. Don't use Non-Stick for the Sear, and Non-Stick will not result in the production of Fond.

This is how we will build our beautiful sauce and Ragù (suggested ratios). Ingredients- 3-stalks of celery, 3-Carrots, 2-Leeks (primarily white part with just a little green), 3-Large Shallots, and 6 cloves of garlic....chop it all up. There's much more to this, which I will indicate below. 

 

To the pan, I added several tablespoons of butter. Toss in all the veggies and saute (add Salt and pepper). After a few minutes, they will start to develop some color, and at this point, I added the chopped garlic. Please don't burn the garlic...Buring garlic is very easy to do. 

You will notice immediately the veggies give up a lot of moisture which ultimately deglazes the pan. Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the pan too. Let everything cook for a while and reduce. Toss in about a 1/3 of a bottle of wine and cook off the alcohol. Add some Demi or beef broth too. Reduce just a wee bit. Taste and keep tasting until it takes on a taste you like. 

Toss a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (use an above-average brand). Stir constantly, please. Add a few sprigs of Rosemary, keeping them whole, so you can fish them out later on. A few tablespoons of chopped Thyme too. Keep Stirring and tasting.......Let's not forget some chopped Italian parsley (depending on the tomatoes, you might need to add sugar)

 This ingredient might be unusual, but it's a must. Fish sauce will bring a burst of beef flavor and Umami. This specific brand of Fish Sauce by Red-Boat is on the high end for taste and cost. Allow me to give you an analogy that you might be able to relate to. There's Brandy, and then there is XO-Cognac. Well, there's Fish Sauce, then there's Chef's Cuvee. Start by adding about a Teaspoon, stir, and keep tasting until you are happy. I think, all in all, I might have added a full tablespoon or just a bit more. It's hard capturing every moment and step, so hopefully, I have not inadvertently skipped anything or left anything out. If you don't want to buy the expensive stuff, go with some off-the-shelf brand. My favorite brand is Red-Boat. Chef's Cuvee Fish will make you go weak in the knees. 

After settling in on a flavor profile, I let everything cook for at least an hour. All veggies have to be fork tender. Process everything in a blender, Vitamix, or food processor until smooth. I have all these appliances plus a large Ninja with a multi-level vertical blade. I found that the Ninja is the best for this application. Cool off and Vac-Seal. I placed everything in the bag unsealed and partially froze. Freezing a little made Vac-Sealing easy. At this point, you need to decide when you want to put everything together. Unlike the Oxtails, this Ragu is not pasteurized, so the shelf life is unknown. If you planned on serving it all in a few days, no biggie, but if you are going to wait a few weeks, stick this bag in the freezer. Or, if you want to wait a month or two, place Oxtails and Sauce in the freezer. This is one of those dishes that can be prepared in advance for a formal dinner. It's a very impressive dish. 

Getting ready for dinner. We have to retherm everything. Set IC to 150f and place Oxtail and Veggie bag in the container. At this point, we can relax. Let the IC work for you. I planned to eat in the next 3-4 hours, and I would suggest at least 135f-150f for the IC temp. Sous-Vide-Processing makes this dish easy to prepare and offers flexibility, unlike other cooking methods. 

I was so disappointed when I went to the store. I was hoping to pick up a medley of mushrooms, but all they had was Crimini-Mushrooms. We are going to saute the Mushrooms in advance for the dish. Saute in lots of butter and season with Salt. I used a Rosemary Salt, which was freaking excellent (thanks, Angela). Cook Mushrooms until nice and caramelized. Toss in some chives and set them aside. I also added just a tiny amount of pepper.

Remove the Oxtails from their vac bag & container and place them in a bowl to cool. Save the purge and put it in a separate container. The fat will float to the top. Spoon out the fat and place it in a bowl. Does not have to be perfect either. We will use both for the recipe, so pleasssssse don't throw them out. 

Building the sauce. Place contents of the bag in a saucepan and heat gently on a very low flame. Add the semi-defatted purge to the pot and stir (I love the whisk for this). I ended up adding all the purge and some additional Oxtail fat. Keep tasting and adjusting the flavor profile until you are satisfied. I know I am getting ahead of myself, but this sauce was the BOMB. This sauce was rich and decadent. The flavor profile and richness define UMAMI. 

After the Oxtail has cooled, remove all meat from the bones. 

Friendly suggestion wear some gloves. 

Save the bones for your dog.

Give the Oxtail meat a rough chop with a sharp knife and set it aside for the next several steps. 

Let's not forget the Polenta. I've made Polenta maybe about 6 x in my life, and as always, it requires tweaks to enhance the flavor profile. 

Yea, there's no actual recipe to speak of because of my process. Generally speaking, I use 6 cups of liquid per 1 1/2 cups of Polenta and lots of butter (or four cups of liquid to one cup of Polenta). It can be water, broth, milk, or a combination of all 3. Bring water to a boil, slowly pour in Polenta, and stir with a whisk. Reduce flame and mix often over the next 15-20 minutes. The liquid amount can be modified based on what you will add later. If it's too thick, add liquid or too thin, reduce. I used water and some beef broth. When the Polenta lost its raw taste, I tossed in about 4 Tbl. of butter and some flavored salt (Merlot Salt). Be careful of salt quantities. I added Pecorino, Ricotta Cheese, and Heavy Cream. Also, some Chives for color and taste. Add whatever you want to the Polenta. Polenta is very bland, so you can kick it up any way you want based on what you are serving. 

Putting it all together is easy, and it happens fast, so pay attention. I could not photograph everything. 

STEPS 

1- Place some reserved fat in a skillet.

2- Place chopped Oxtail into fat and saute until caramelized to your liking.

3. Add Mushrooms.

4. Add some Chives.

5- Add some Parsley.

6- Add some sauce.

7- Cook until you are happy.

To Serve- Place some creamy Polenta in a bowl, add your Oxtail Ragu, Some Chives, a touch of Italian Parsley, some more sauce, some Pecorino Cheese, and top with some Ricotta. 

Review- Freaking AWESOME...... It made my guest's knees buckle. The sauce and meat were rich and decadent. The fat and texture of the beef coated your palate and made you go back for thirds and fourths. What I would do differently in the future. I think the ratio of Polenta to Oxtail Ragu in the bowls needs to change. My plating was OK, but I needed to reduce the amount of Polenta in the bowl. The dishes need to be smaller too. 

Oxtail-Wonton-Soup

Great Article to read on Cooked meat and why it's so damn good!!!!!!