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By Request

By Betty Shimabukuro

Wednesday, October 18, 2000

By Craig T. Kojima. Star-Bulletin
Serve hearty braised oxtails with a salad containing
some bitter greens, and maybe edible flowers, to
offset the richness of the meat.

---

On the tail
of a great recipe

It can pay to mutter out loud. Muttering, as in -- "Where am I going to get a good recipe for Braised Oxtails?" -- which is the productive way I was working out a recipe problem the other week.

Then, from the corner of the room came the words, "I make great oxtails." It was the voice of an angel.

Actually, it was the voice of Cynthia Oi, who sits two desks away. She agreed to go through the tedious process of making up a batch of oxtails, measuring out all the ingredients (like many accomplished cooks, she goes by eyeball most of the time) and plating it expertly for the photograph. (Bonus extra: We got to eat it. Was ono.)

Perhaps she is an angel, at least for Dave Han, "transplanted local boy" now living in Indianapolis.

"Growing up in Kaimuki, I would travel all the way to the airport so I could eat at Byron's Drive Inn. Well, I have been losing sleep the more I think of a dish that I loved so much there -- Braised Oxtails. If you could somehow procure this recipe, I will be forever indebted to you."

Well, Byron's declined to share -- owner Marian Wong thanks you for your devotion, but says the restaurant's recipe is too huge to cut down to home-cooking portions and still have the results be reliable.

You can direct your forever indebtedness instead to Cynthia ("Talk is cheap, send money," she is fond of saying).

Here is her recipe and her explanation of the dish:

Braised Oxtails is not a fast-fix recipe. It isn't a low-fat, low-cholesterol thing either. This dish is substantial, earthy and ono.

This recipe calls for 10 pounds of oxtails, which sounds like a lot. but one piece can weight almost half a pound and much of that is in bones.

Whatever you can't eat, freeze in small batches that will be ready for microwaving or oven-reheating whenever you crave something rich.

This recipe was adapted from various sources, principal of which was a talented but taciturn cook who would not divulge her recipe on paper, but rattled off her ingredients in a quick conversation several years ago. After sampling this version, she allowed that it was good, but not as good as hers. She is right, but this comes close.

The sweetener you choose will subtly affect the flavor. Use what you like -- guava jam, honey, brown sugar -- but orange marmalade and maple syrup provide a different layer of flavor, as does adding the zest of an orange or lemon.

Serve this with buttered noodles or brown rice. A salad of bitter or spicy greens (such as arugula or watercress), sprinkled with a balsamic vinegar dressing, also is a nice complement. Another good side dish is mustard greens sauteed with a bit of grated ginger.

Braised Oxtails

10 pounds oxtails
1 cup flour for dredging
2 to 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 to 5 tablespoons vegetable oil for browning
2 carrots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
Zest of one orange or lemon, optional
3 cups dry red wine
1 teaspoon basil
2 bay leaves
Pinch nutmeg
Dash Worcestershire sauce
4 to 5 tablespoons honey, brown sugar or marmalade, or any combination of the three

Wipe oxtails. Combine flour with Kosher salt and pepper. Dredge oxtails in flour mixture and shake off excess. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the 2 cloves of garlic lightly and discard. Brown oxtails on all sides, adding more oil as needed. Remove to large roasting pan.

To the same skillet, add carrots, onions and celery and cook until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining garlic and parsley and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir through vegetables 2 to 3 minutes. Add zest if using. Add wine; cook 5 to 10 minutes to reduce. Add basil, bay leaves, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and sweetener. Stir until combined. Adjust seasoning.

Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper over oxtails. Pour vegetable mixture over oxtails. Bake 3 to 3-1/2 hours, until tender, turning oxtails at least once an hour. Stir in more water if needed. Cool, then refrigerate overnight. Remove excess fat before reheating (there will be a lot). Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving, not including salt to taste: 750 calories, 40 g total fat, 13 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, greater than 900 mg sodium, 70 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate .*

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.