Paula Deen Country Oxtails

Paula Deen country oxtails take 4 hours and a Dutch oven of oxtails, red wine and tender vegetables to make a fall-apart braised dinner that feeds 10 to 12. It's an easy Southern comfort food dinner for Sunday dinner, church supper or the holiday table, and it's a one-pot braise served over buttered rice.

Sear the oxtails on every side before they go in the oven, because that browning builds the deep flavor of the whole sauce. Skip it and the broth tastes thin, with nothing for the wine and tomato to cling to.

Paula adds the onions, potatoes and carrots only after the long braise, so they cook for about 15 minutes and stay in clean, tender pieces. Putting them in at the start would turn them to mush by the time the meat is ready.

Paula Deen Country Oxtails

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Course: DinnerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

30

minutes

Calories

420

kcal

Oxtails braise low and slow in red wine, beef broth and tomato sauce until the meat pulls off the bone. Potatoes and carrots simmer in at the end, so the vegetables stay tender and the sauce turns rich enough to spoon over rice.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs oxtails
  

• Paula Deen House seasoning
  

• 1 teaspoon Olive oil
  

• 1 can beef broth
  

• 1 cup red wine
  

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  

• 6 cloves garlic, large ones cut in 1/2
  

• 1 teaspoon dried basil
  

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  

• 2 bay leaves
  

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  

• 1/2 vidalia onion, cut into 6 wedges
  

• 6 small red small potatoes, cut in 1/2
  

• 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
  

• 1 pot rice, cooked and hot buttered
  

Directions

• Preheat and season: Preheat the oven to 300 to 350°F. Then sprinkle the 3 lbs oxtails liberally with Paula Deen House seasoning on both sides.
• Sear the oxtails: Coat the bottom of a heavy oven-proof Dutch oven with 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat it. Once it's hot, add the oxtails and sear them on all sides, then set them aside.
• Build the braise: Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then add 1 can beef broth, 1 cup red wine, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 6 cloves garlic, with the large ones cut in half. Stir in 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 bay leaves and 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce. Then add the reserved oxtails and stir, so everything is well combined.
• Braise in the oven: Cover the pot tightly and place it in the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours.
• Add the vegetables: Remove the pot from the oven and bring it to a simmer on the stovetop. Add 1/2 vidalia onion cut into 6 wedges, 6 small red potatoes cut in half and 4 medium carrots cut into 2-inch lengths.
• Simmer until tender: Cover the pot and simmer for roughly 15 minutes. The potatoes should be almost tender when it's ready.
• Serve over rice: Spoon the oxtails and vegetables over 1 pot of hot buttered rice, cooked just before serving. Spoon plenty of the braising sauce on top so the rice soaks it up.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO 12-inch locking tongs, OXO wooden spoon set, Partanna Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, 1 liter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make country oxtails without red wine?

Yes, swap the wine for an extra cup of beef broth and the dish still works. Add a small splash of Worcestershire to make up for the missing depth.

How long do leftover oxtails keep?

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Reheat them gently in a covered pot on the stove with a splash of broth so the meat stays moist.

Can I braise the oxtails the day before?

Yes, the braise often tastes even better the next day. Cook the oxtails through the oven step, chill them, then reheat on the stove and add the vegetables when you're ready to serve.

Can I cook oxtails in a slow cooker instead of a Dutch oven?

A slow cooker works fine as long as you sear the oxtails in a skillet first and scrape up the brown bits into the pot. Cook on low until the meat is tender, then add the vegetables near the end.

What's the most common mistake with oxtails?

Pulling them from the oven too early is the usual problem, since oxtails are tough until the long braise breaks them down. If the meat still clings to the bone, give it another 30 minutes covered.