1 no ingredients
Directions
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
4 lb oxtails -- cut at joints
2 TB shortening
2 onions -- cut in quarters
4 c boiling water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 bay leaf
6 carrots -- cut in chunks
3 potatoes -- cut in chunks
2 c rutabaga -- chopped
1 c celery -- diagonally
: sliced
1/2 c cold water -- optional
In large bag, mix together flour, 1tsp salt and pepper. Shake
oxtails, a few at a time, until evenly coated. Set aside any leftover
flour mixture.
In large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven, melt shortening over
medium-high heat. Brown oxtails completely, adding more shortening
if pan looks dry. Set aside as they brown. Add onions to pan and cook
until softened. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in boiling water,
bouillon cubes and bay leaf; return oxtails to pan. Cover and bake in
325 F (160 C) oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until oxtails are tender.
(If oxtails are fatty, prepare recipe to this point. Cool and
refrigerate overnight; remove fat before continuing.) Add carrots,
potatoes, rutabaga, celery and remaining salt to stew. Cover and bake
for about 45 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender and stew
is heated through. If desired, thicken stew with 2 tbsp of reserved
seasoned flour blended with cold water. Stir into stew and heat to
boiling, stirring constantly.
Recipe By : The Canadian Living Cookbook
Servings: 6 servings
Ox-Tail Stew Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Dutch Oven; Soup; Stew
The History of Recipes
Recipes as a concept can be observed back into history, certainly as far as ancient Egypt, and maybe even further. Interesting though that maybe, in the main part, these early recipes were just basic hieroglyphic instructions for preparing food.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe found, according to food historians are a few clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which show the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel exhilarated. Progressing into The time of the roman empire around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a few scripts detailing recipes prepared by wealthy Romans. In his publication, he tells us how the roman meals were split into appetizers, main meal and desserts, something we still use today. This early Roman chef informs us how the cooks of Roman times were skilled in the use of a good variety of herbs and spices, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks for example bay, fennel and dill. In the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back a variety of foods and herbs from the Middle-East, including spices such as coriander, parsley, basil and rosemary. These new spices and herbs led to an explosion in books on cooking, most of which are kept safe in private libraries. Over the following few centuries, the wealthy families of Wesstern Europe competed to lay on the most exotic meals, and as a result chefs and their collection of recipes could command a high salary. Even so, it was during the 19th century that fine cooking and recipe books reached a high level of popularity. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, spent years to collecting, verifying, and publishing the recipes of their peers. The arrival of TV brought us TV cooks and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to access thousands of recipes such as those found on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Ox Tail Stew recipe.
