Oxtail Stew

I have been intrigued by ox tail for ages. I've passed it by many times in our local Asian grocery store and this week, my curiosity finally prompted me to toss a package in my basket. The girls giggled when I explained that this funny cut of meat really was the tail of a cow; followed shortly by wrinkled up noses when they realized they would soon be eating said tail. I was excited to try something new, but also perplexed with the "now what" question. I searched for recipes online and nothing quite tickled my fancy. As I sat at my computer, chilled by the sudden drop in temperatures and cool breeze blowing through the cracked window, I knew my only choice was to prepare the oxtail in a good, old-fashioned, slow-cooked stew. I relied on memories of beef stew from my childhood and began sifting through our recent CSA produce. The result was delicious! The girls were a little "grossed out" at having to discard the fat around the meat, but other than that they practically licked the bones clean.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 4 oxtail pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 turnips, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 large cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• salt, pepper, and cayenne (for a little kick)

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the oxtails on all sides. Place them in the slow cooker.
3. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper, and cayenne, if using.
4. Fry the garlic until fragrant.
5. Add vegetables to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes until they begin to brown.
6. Add just enough beef broth so you can easily scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
7. Pour beef broth into the slow cooker.
8. Add vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Do not stir.
9. Top the slow cooked contents with chopped bacon.
10. Secure the lid and cook for 4-5 hours on High.