“Oxtail?! You ask. I wondered about eating this myself. I had never tried it. But, I’ve got to tell you… This rich braised beef is topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and a red onion gastrique before getting covered in cheese and served on a toasty roll. It seems like a lot of work, but you can cut down the cooking time in half by using a pressure cooker if you don’t have time to slow cook it in the oven. The key is making sure to get a good sear on the oxtail well and letting it cook in all the veggies and juices. Delicious!”

Ingredients:

FOR THE BRAISED OXTAIL

2 TBSP. olive oil

2½ pounds (10 each) oxtail

Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 red onions, quartered

2 garlic heads, halved crosswise

2 cups red wine

4 cups chicken stock

15 thyme sprigs

4 rosemary sprigs

FOR THE RED ONION GASTRIQUE

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 red onion, medium dice

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup red wine vinegar

FOR THE CARAMELIZED ONION AND MUSHROOMS

2 TBSP. olive oil

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the French Dip:

4 hoagie rolls, halved lengthwise and toasted

8 slices Swiss or Havarti cheese

How to Make It:

Rinse oxtail in a large bowl with cold water and salt. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Preheat the oven to 300º. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the oxtails liberally with salt and pepper, then sear, turning as needed, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the oxtails to a plate.
Add the celery, carrots, and onions to the pan, and cook until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Pour in the red wine, continually stirring to deglaze the pan, then return the oxtails to the pan and add the chicken stock, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the oxtails are tender, 2½ to 3 hours. Raise the oven to 350º.
Meanwhile, make the red onion gastrique: In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook until lightly caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and red wine vinegar to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced to a syrup, 16 to 18 minutes, then set aside.
Make the caramelized onions and mushrooms: In a 10-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions to the pan and continue to cook until caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the butter to coat and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the French dip sandwiches: Once tender, remove the oxtails from the pan and place in a bowl. Once cool enough to handle, pick apart the meat and transfer to a medium saucepan, discarding the bones and any cartilage. Strain the remaining contents of the pot, reserving the liquid and discarding the vegetables. You should have 3½ cups of braising liquid; keep warm.
To the saucepan with the picked oxtail meat, add 1½ cups of the braising liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the liquid has reduced to a glaze on the oxtail, 18 to 28 minutes. Stir in half of the red onion gastrique, adding more to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
On a baking sheet, open and lay out the toasted rolls. Divide the braised oxtail between the rolls, then divide the onions and mushrooms over the oxtail. Top each sandwich with 2 slices of cheese and place in the oven. Bake until the cheese has melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Press each sandwich closed, then halve crosswise and serve alongside the braising liquid for dipping.

Braised Oxtail French Dip Sandwich