Oxtail-Wonton-Soup (Sous-Vide)

- September 28, 2020

This is one of those dishes that make you say "OMG." I often buy lots of protein and SV-Process ahead of time and place in the refrigerator or freezer for later use. This was one of those occasions. I saw these babies staring at me behind the glass display at the grocery store, and they spoke to me. Although they whispered sweet nothings at me, they had no recipe to share, but alas, all they said to me was, "BUY" me. I've made Oxtail several times before using different methods, but I wanted something very different from these babies. They sat refrigerated for over a week, and I'm not kidding when I say they occupied my every thought until I came up with the following recipe.

I treated the Oxtails with 1% of Fish-Salt (Dry-Brined). Redboat is my goto for everything, Fish Sause/Salt. How to compute numbers? If you have 1000 grams of Oxtail multiply that by 1% (1000 X 1% or .01 = 10 grams). Sprinkle Fish-Salt on the Oxtail and give it a rub down. If you don't want to use Fish-Salt, use Salt at 0.60%. After treating with Salt place in the refrigerator (Fish -Salt for 72-Hours and Salt only 24-hours.) As an option, you could use Fish-Sauce at 2%. Read up on Faux-Aging HERE.

This might be overkill for some, but I always double bag with weights on looks cooks that use higher than average temps. After Dry-Brining for XYZ-Time Oxtails were Sous-Vide-Processed at 167℉ @ 30-Hours. After processing, I used a Step-Down-Cooling method developed by CREA. This method improves texture and moisture retention. Oxtails were placed on the Counter for 15-Minutes, followed by a Cold-Water Dunk from the Tap. Note: I use an aquarium pump to circulate water. Heat-Transfer is improved by 25-30%. After the Step-Down-Cooling process and to ensure proper cooling, lots of ice and water are used to bring down temp before refrigerating.

These methods or dishes might seem overwhelming and time-consuming, but completing them over a few days certainly makes them doable. To make my version of an Asain Chicken broth, use standard ingredients but also use Lemongrass and Charred Ginger. To char ginger place over the burner rotating until colored. I used my Pressure cooker to make the broth.

Making an Asian sauce is like making any other good BBQ Sauce. I used my taste buds to guide me. Ingredients- Gochujang, Mayo, Sesame Seed oil, Small Amount of Ketchup, Soy-Sauce, Fish-Sauce, Hoisin-Sauce, Powdered-Ginger, and lastly a little bit of Garlic & Onion Powder.

I used my Weber-Kettle-Grill, which I preheated to 300℉. Coat Oxtails with the Asian-Sauce. BBQ indirectly for about 45-Minutes or until they are nicely browned.

Nicely-Browned!!!

After cooling, remove Oxtail-meat from bones and rough chop. If you have latex glove I would suggest using them.

To the rough chopped, Oxtail add the following to taste. Here's my caveat before proceeding. You need to preserve the flavor of the Oxtail, so add ingredients with some restraint. Green-Onion, Finely chopped carrots, chopped garlic (or use a garlic press), Finely minced Ginger, Sesame seed oil, Soy Sauce, White or back Pepper, and Fish-Sauce. And finally, add one Egg or two to bind. Taste and keep tasting until it suits you.

Make Wontons like these or use a different method. This is not my forte, so I had to google how to form them.

Note: Again, I did everything over a few days. The Oxtails were processed a week in advance, the Stock 3 days out, and the Wontons about 1 day out. This is truly a simple dish. The wontons can be frozen too, and this is what I did. Putting it all together is super easy also. Heat the broth and toss in Wontons. When they float, the Wontons are cooked. Toss in shredded carrots and green onion into your bowls and add Broth and Wontons.