Oxtail Butcher’s-Style

Adapted from Mario Batali’s Coda alla Vaccinara

Ingredients:
2 lbs calf oxtails, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 tbsps tomato paste
3 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 ribs of celery, leaves reserved, stalks finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 large red onion, thinly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 strips of bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup dry white wine
a pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tbsps sherry vinegar
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, olive oil

1. Bring 12 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the oxtails and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the oxtails and save 2 cups of the broth. In the 2 cups of broth, dissolved the tomato paste.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat some olive oil and cook the bacon. Brown the oxtails on both sides and transfer them to a plate.
3. Add garlic, onions, carrots and half the parsley to the pot and sauté until carrots are tender. Return the oxtails and add the wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the wine is reduced in half.
4. Pour the tomato-broth mixture over the oxtails. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Then add the celery, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the oxtails to a platter.
5. Remove the meat from the bones. (This is a pain in the aSs but the meat should come off easily and a boning knife will help you get into the nooks.) Stir the meat into the sauce to warm it up. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the celery leaves, the remaining parsley, bell pepper, onion, pepper flakes and cinnamon together. Toss with some olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve this on top of the oxtail meat.