Oxtail and Chorizo Stew

Stews come in all forms from turkey to lentil to fish. This oxtail stew plays off the classic beef stew tradition of browning the meat and simmering veggies, beer and broth for hours until all is tender, but I substitute in oxtail and chorizo just for fun.

The oxtail has a slightly wild or game-y flavor compared to beef but it reacts the same when stewed for hours - fall off the bone deliciousness. Fat and Happy comes in many forms, in this case a hearty warm stew for the cold February days. Enjoy!

Tips and Techniques: I cooked this in a cast iron pot on the stove but you could easily drop all the ingredients into a crock pot and let it simmer all day.  The oxtail bone may look like it doesn't have enough meat on it, but you'll be surprised how much meat will come off it in the end.



Oxtail and Chorizo Stew

1 lb oxtail (it will have a lot of bone)
4 oz chorizo, crumbled out of the casing
1/2 medium sized yellow onion, diced large
1/2 medium sized red onion, diced large
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 medium sized potato, diced
 3-5 cups Beef broth
1 cup Modelo or other dark beer (for Gluten free dish, choose a GF beer or substitute in wine)
1/2 cup fresh green beans, sliced in half on the diagonal
fresh thyme
seasoning salt
black pepper

Start by heavily seasoning the meat on all sides with seasoning salt and pepper, then brown the oxtail on all sides; remove from the pan and set aside. Add the chorizo to the pan, cook through and set aside with the oxtail. Remove the grease from the pan. Add the onions, carrot and celery to the pot, cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and potato, continue to cook (stirring often) to soften the garlic, about another 3-5 minutes. If the pan is getting too dry add in a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in 1 cup of broth, use a wooden spoon to scrap up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Place the oxtail and the chorizo back into the pot, now add in the beer, then add enough broth to cover all the veggies and meat.

Cover the pan and let the stew simmer for 4-6 hours, you can also put this in the oven rather than on the stove top. Test the meat, does it fall off the bone? If so, it's ready.  Remove the bones and carefully peel off the meat into chucks, place the meat back in the stew.

Simmer the stew with the lid off for 20 minutes to thicken the stew; add in the green beans during the last 5 or 10 minutes of cooking so they retain a little crunchy rather than turn mushy. Taste for seasoning, add in more salt and pepper as needed. Add fresh thyme to each bowl before serving.