Braised Oxtails with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Aleppo Pepper

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Braised Oxtails with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Aleppo Pepper

A popular Turkish dish, etli kuru fasulye, which means “white beans with meat,” is often served with rice pilaf and pickled vegetables. It is the starting point for this hearty braise, only in this case the meat—succulent, beefy oxtails—plays the starring role, and the white beans offer a creamy, nutty counterpoint. To be sure our braise did not turn out too greasy, we started by roasting the oxtails in the oven for an hour, rather than quickly browning them in a pan; this way we rendered and discarded a significant amount of fat (about a half-cup). We then transferred the oxtails to a Dutch oven and deglazed the roasting pan with chicken broth to create a flavorful liquid for braising. We added a simple yet flavorful trio of eastern Mediterranean elements to give the braising liquid its character: sweet whole tomatoes, warm and earthy Aleppo pepper, and pungent oregano. After braising, we were careful to remove the fat (about another half-cup) from the cooking liquid using a fat separator. We added canned navy beans, sherry vinegar, and fresh oregano to create a hearty sauce in which we reheated the oxtails.

Servings:

Calories: 827kcal

Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

4 pounds oxtails trimmed
salt
pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
1 onion chopped fine
1 carrot peeled and chopped fine
6 garlic clove minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Aleppo pepper ground dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano minced
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 15-ounce can navy bean rinsed
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
Pat oxtails dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange oxtails cut side down in single layer in large roasting pan and roast until meat begins to brown, about 45 minutes.
Discard any accumulated fat and juices in pan and continue to roast until meat is well browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer oxtails to bowl and tent loosely with aluminum foil; set aside.
Stir chicken broth into pan, scraping up any browned bits; set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
Add onion and carrot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic, tomato paste, Aleppo, and 1 teaspoon oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in broth mixture from roasting pan and tomatoes and their juice and bring to simmer.
Nestle oxtails into pot and bring to simmer.
Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until oxtails are tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, about 3 hours.
Transfer oxtails to bowl and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; return solids to now-empty pot. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then pour defatted liquid into pot with solids.
Stir in beans, vinegar, and remaining 2 teaspoons oregano.
Return oxtails and any accumulated juices to pot, bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook until oxtails and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer oxtails to serving platter and spoon 1 cup sauce over top. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Notes

Try to buy oxtails that are approximately 2 inches thick and 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Oxtails can often be found in the freezer section of the grocery store; if using frozen oxtails, be sure to thaw them completely before using. If you can't find Aleppo pepper, you can substitute 1½ teaspoons paprika and 1½ teaspoons finely chopped red pepper flakes.

Nutrition