Fermented black beans, soy sauce, rice wine, and ginger give an oriental flair to braised oxtails. Serve with Chinese rice or noodles.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours,
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds oxtails, cut at each joint
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fermented black beans (dow see), rinsed and drained
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 slices ginger, the size of a 25-cent piece, cut julienne
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
Trim the oxtail pieces of excess fat. Heat a large wok or frying pan and add the peanut oil. Add the garlic and salt and chow (stir-fry) for just a moment. Add the oxtails and brown on both sides. Remove the oxtails from the wok and drain the oil, reserving the oil. Set the oxtails aside.Heat the wok again and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the black beans and chow (stir-fry) for a moment. Add the onion, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and sugar. Then add the reserved oxtails. Toss and remove the whole lot to a stove-top casserole. Add water to not quite cover. Cover the pot and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours, or longer to taste. The pieces should be very tender and certainly flavorful.
Serve with rice or noodles as a main course for a Chinese dinner.
Yield: 5 to 6 servings
Source: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines by Jeff Smith (William Morrow)
Reprinted with permission.
