by Matt Gruber
One of the greatest joys of working behind the counter at any of our locations is talking about food and recipes with customers. Oftentimes, sharing and exploring new corners and regions of dishes I never would have thought to explore or combine.
One afternoon a customer proposed the question “Is oxtail the right cut for my ragù?” Stumped for a moment, I admittedly had no idea. So, the conversation evolved and I found myself bringing home an oxtail to put it to the test. I love oxtail as much as the next person but had never worked with it at home. A bit unsure I grabbed some ground pork just to be safe. After doing a bit of research I had no idea I was walking into a classic Roman style Ragu - coda all vaccinara. Ragu in the style of the butcher. It was meant to be. Caught up in an 18th century dish I never knew I needed in my life.
The sheer velvetiness of the sauce caught me off guard. The oxtail is traditionally served on the bone, so I wanted to try that for my first experience with the recipe. It can be a little awkward though, so I would recommend shredding the meat. This ended up being one of the best meals I’ve created in a long time.
Ingredients:
1 QT Beef Stock
1 Package Spinosi Pappardelle
1 Oxtail
⅓ # ground pork
1 Medium onion, diced
2-3 Stock of celery, sliced into half moons
4 Cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
Fresh basil to taste, I put a few leaves in the sauce while reducing
1 Jars LC (La caterdral de navarra)
2 Jars Bionatura Strained Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 block Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano
Steps:
In a large dutch oven, brown ground pork and oxtail ~3-5 minutes a side over medium heat
Add garlic, onion, celery and half of the beef stock and bring to a boil
Add the 3 jars of tomatoes with the rest of the beef stock and simmer
Continue to reduce until you have a thick sauce, approximately 4-5 hours occasionally scraping the fond off the sides.
Bring 5L of water to a boil, then cook the pappardelle for 3-6 minutes or until al dente
Shred meat off of the oxtail bone and return to sauce.
Assemble a bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated Parm. And there you have it, a simple yet outstanding ragù.
Cook, serve, delicious