Tired of people asking you what are oxtails? Oxtails aren’t really from the tail of an ox, they are beef steer's tail and have a delicious rich and distinctive flavor and excellent for stew. Like most stews, oxtail stew is best slow cooked for several hours. My father remembers when he was growing up and eating oxtails. He said it was considered a special dish for dinner because it was beef. Ox tail cost pennies a pound and you would need 3 or 4 pounds to make a meal. Now they are considered choice cut- hard to come by and expensive. He figures that the "government" finally caught on that it was soul food and they drove the prices up on the beef tails, just like what happen to pork when it received the name soul food.
OXTAIL STEW
INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cubes beef bouillon
10 cups water
6 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup oil
3 pounds beef oxtail
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water
DIRECTIONS
1. Place celery, garlic, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, and water into a large Dutch oven; stir until the tomato paste has dissolved. Add peppercorns and bay leaves, place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oxtail and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove oxtail from hot oil and place into Dutch oven. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes; add to oxtail.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, recover, and continue to cook until the oxtail is tender, but not falling off of the bone, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove oxtail pieces and place into a serving dish. Dutch oven and return to a simmer. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in water, simmer for 1 minute until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over the oxtail.
Note
Oxtail should be ready when a knife slices easily through the meat. It should not be overcooked otherwise it will fall off the bones and go stringy - and if not cooked long enough it will not come off the bones easily enough. I normally find 4 hours cooking is just perfect.
Like most soul food, sitting overnight in the refrigerator, then rehearing for dinner the next day they are even better, this is what we call good eat’n.
Showing posts with label RECIPE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RECIPE. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2009
WHAT'S COOKIN' (Red Beans and Rice)
RED BEANS AND RICE WITH SAUSAGE
This is my husband favorite dish. Every Monday in New Orleans is "Red Beans and Rice day" and his mother would cook a big pot full, the addition of Smoke Sausage
originated in the southern section of Louisiana. The Red Beans are delicious with or without the smoke sausage.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound Red Beans
1-2 pounds smoked neck bones
2 pounds of Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 large bay leaves
2 tablespoons chili power
1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups of cooked rice
Soak beans overnight, or about 6 hours, in enough water to cover all beans, drain water, then cover with fresh water. Let beans remain in this water until ready to cook.
Clean smoked neck bones (there is a brain stem that runs down the neck of the pig), When the bones are chopped, the stern can be found in the channel-like opening, remove it.
Boil the bones on until they are ½ the way tender using enough water to cover, through the boiling period maintain this level of water.
Add the onions bell pepper, celery and minced garlic.
Add all seasonings except salt. Drain water from the beans add to pot and cover.
Cook at medium heat for 30 minutes, reduced heat to simmer and cook until the beans are tender. Be sure to check for seasoning and add salt.
Meanwhile slice the smoked sausage in 1" to 2" pieces. Place in baking pan in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, drain off and discard the fatty liquid.
Add sausage to the pot of beans and neck bones. Continue to cook until the beans are fully tender when pierced with a fork, skim off all visible fat.
,
This is my husband favorite dish. Every Monday in New Orleans is "Red Beans and Rice day" and his mother would cook a big pot full, the addition of Smoke Sausage
originated in the southern section of Louisiana. The Red Beans are delicious with or without the smoke sausage.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound Red Beans
1-2 pounds smoked neck bones
2 pounds of Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 large bay leaves
2 tablespoons chili power
1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups of cooked rice
Soak beans overnight, or about 6 hours, in enough water to cover all beans, drain water, then cover with fresh water. Let beans remain in this water until ready to cook.
Clean smoked neck bones (there is a brain stem that runs down the neck of the pig), When the bones are chopped, the stern can be found in the channel-like opening, remove it.
Boil the bones on until they are ½ the way tender using enough water to cover, through the boiling period maintain this level of water.
Add the onions bell pepper, celery and minced garlic.
Add all seasonings except salt. Drain water from the beans add to pot and cover.
Cook at medium heat for 30 minutes, reduced heat to simmer and cook until the beans are tender. Be sure to check for seasoning and add salt.
Meanwhile slice the smoked sausage in 1" to 2" pieces. Place in baking pan in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, drain off and discard the fatty liquid.
Add sausage to the pot of beans and neck bones. Continue to cook until the beans are fully tender when pierced with a fork, skim off all visible fat.
,
Monday, January 26, 2009
BLACK-EYED PEAS
The first group of Africans slaves landed in Jamestown Virginia, they brought food over to America including seeds of there native crops and introduced several plants and black-eyed peas was one of the seeds. Black-eyed are healthy and slaves ate them to become strong. One of the more popular ways of cooking black-eyed peas is the dish called "Hoppin' John", a traditional African-American dish served on New Year's day for good luck.
BLACK EYED PEAS
(Hoppin’ John)
Ingredients:
1 pound black-eyed peas or 2 package of frozen
4 cups water
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 or 4 smoked necks bones*
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper (optional)
3 cups of cooked rice
Preparation:
Thoroughly pick and wash the black-eyes peas in strainer picking out small pebbles. Place peas in pot and add water covering the peas, place in refrigerator for 24 hours. (If frozen just place into pot of water) Place them on the top of the stove, in a large dutch over. Combine with salt, pepper, onion, water, and pork or other meat, you can add crushed red pepper if you like spicy food. Bring to rapid boil, cover and reduce heat simmer for 1½ to 2 hours or until tender.
Serves 4 to 6
*Clean smoked neck bones (there is a brain stem that runs down the neck of the pig), When the bones are chopped, the stern can be found in the channel-like opening, remove it.
Boil the bones until they are ½ the way tender using enough water to cover, through the boiling period maintain this level of water, drain and use the pot liquor replacing the water, add water to make 4 cups.
Tips:
If you're up to the challenge, you might try adding the rice to the black-eyed pea mixture. If not, I suggests, "cheat" at serving time placed the black-eyed peas on top of the rice on your plate this works for me.
The challenge: After the peas are tender, Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Mix well, and serve immediately.
BLACK EYED PEAS
(Hoppin’ John)
Ingredients:
1 pound black-eyed peas or 2 package of frozen
4 cups water
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 or 4 smoked necks bones*
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper (optional)
3 cups of cooked rice
Preparation:
Thoroughly pick and wash the black-eyes peas in strainer picking out small pebbles. Place peas in pot and add water covering the peas, place in refrigerator for 24 hours. (If frozen just place into pot of water) Place them on the top of the stove, in a large dutch over. Combine with salt, pepper, onion, water, and pork or other meat, you can add crushed red pepper if you like spicy food. Bring to rapid boil, cover and reduce heat simmer for 1½ to 2 hours or until tender.
Serves 4 to 6
*Clean smoked neck bones (there is a brain stem that runs down the neck of the pig), When the bones are chopped, the stern can be found in the channel-like opening, remove it.
Boil the bones until they are ½ the way tender using enough water to cover, through the boiling period maintain this level of water, drain and use the pot liquor replacing the water, add water to make 4 cups.
Tips:
If you're up to the challenge, you might try adding the rice to the black-eyed pea mixture. If not, I suggests, "cheat" at serving time placed the black-eyed peas on top of the rice on your plate this works for me.
The challenge: After the peas are tender, Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Mix well, and serve immediately.
COLLARDS GREENS
Collard greens are a very nutritious and inexpensive treat. When my dad was growing up, his mother would buy about 50 cents worth of collard seeds and this would grow enough collard greens to feed them for the entire year. That 50 cents worth of seeds would produce hundreds of collard plants in her backyard garden. When I was growing up, my dad would get them free once or twice a year, they grew wild in the fields by the train tracks in Dog Town a section of Watts. In the late 1950 Collards cost 10 to 15 cent a bunch. When I was teenager the cost of Collards was 5 bunches for a $1.00
Ingredients:
5 pounds of collards greens*
2 teaspoon of salt
1 chili pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/3 cup apple vinegar
½ cup margarine
*several large bunches or 2 bags of pre-cleaned collards green
Techniques:
Take the collard greens and separate the leaves and wash them two or three times, now rinse each leaf individually under cold running water. After you rinse the collard greens thoroughly, stack several leaves on top of each other, roll these leaves together. Then slice the leaves into thin strips using a cutting board and large knife. Rolling them together speeds up the process as you are slicing through several leaves at once.
Next, add your collard greens to the pot. Since this is a lot of collards, you will need to add them until the pot is full. Then allow them to wilt as they cook - then add more. Stir every few minutes to distribute the smoked meat evenly. You want the ham hocks to be falling apart. Add your seasoning cover and cook for 2 hours thirty minutes on medium heat. Taste to confirm they are the tenderness you prefer, if a little bitter add the vinegar and margarine. Serve with your favorite meat dish such as chitterlings or eat the ham hocks or neck bones right along with the collards. My favorite way to cook collard greens is very simple.
I take 2 or 3 smoked ham hocks and put them in a large (6quart) pot of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and let them boil for about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water as it boils down. The idea is to boil the ham hocks until they begin to fall apart. You should always cook pork very thoroughly and use proper food handling
Tips:
If you used pre-cleaned collards, simply rinse them under cold running water.
If you use smoked neck bones, they usually don't take as long to cook as ham hocks.
If you used smoked turkey parts they don’t take as long to cook as pork.
Since this is a large pot full, just save the extras in the refrigerator. They should keep for a long time and actually get better as the juices settle in.
My dad would prepare his plate and sprinkle lots of hot sauce on his collards. I like them that way sometimes. Give it a try.
Ingredients:
5 pounds of collards greens*
2 teaspoon of salt
1 chili pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/3 cup apple vinegar
½ cup margarine
*several large bunches or 2 bags of pre-cleaned collards green
Techniques:
Take the collard greens and separate the leaves and wash them two or three times, now rinse each leaf individually under cold running water. After you rinse the collard greens thoroughly, stack several leaves on top of each other, roll these leaves together. Then slice the leaves into thin strips using a cutting board and large knife. Rolling them together speeds up the process as you are slicing through several leaves at once.
Next, add your collard greens to the pot. Since this is a lot of collards, you will need to add them until the pot is full. Then allow them to wilt as they cook - then add more. Stir every few minutes to distribute the smoked meat evenly. You want the ham hocks to be falling apart. Add your seasoning cover and cook for 2 hours thirty minutes on medium heat. Taste to confirm they are the tenderness you prefer, if a little bitter add the vinegar and margarine. Serve with your favorite meat dish such as chitterlings or eat the ham hocks or neck bones right along with the collards. My favorite way to cook collard greens is very simple.
I take 2 or 3 smoked ham hocks and put them in a large (6quart) pot of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and let them boil for about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water as it boils down. The idea is to boil the ham hocks until they begin to fall apart. You should always cook pork very thoroughly and use proper food handling
Tips:
If you used pre-cleaned collards, simply rinse them under cold running water.
If you use smoked neck bones, they usually don't take as long to cook as ham hocks.
If you used smoked turkey parts they don’t take as long to cook as pork.
Since this is a large pot full, just save the extras in the refrigerator. They should keep for a long time and actually get better as the juices settle in.
My dad would prepare his plate and sprinkle lots of hot sauce on his collards. I like them that way sometimes. Give it a try.
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