Chef Tom's Oxtail Osso Buco is the perfect winter warmer. Slow cooked in a cast iron Dutch oven, the oxtail is simmered with tomatoes, veggies, herbs, and wine to create an irresistible flavor base. Serve on a bed of creamy polenta and experience the Midwest spin on this Italian classic!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Flour-dredged, batch-seared oxtail: A light flour coating browns into a deep crust and later helps thicken the braising liquid.
- Wine-and-tomato braise: Dry white wine and San Marzano tomatoes make an acidic, savory base that tenderizes the meat as it simmers.
- Gremolata finish: Fresh parsley, raw garlic, and lemon zest stirred in at the end brighten a rich, long-cooked dish.
- Creamy polenta base: A bed of butter-and-parmesan polenta soaks up the braising liquid.
Oxtail Osso Buco
Tom Jackson
Rated 3.3 stars by 32 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
3 hours 3 minutes
Calories
843
Chef Tom brings you a Midwest spin on this Italian classic, braising segments of oxtail in a rich flavor base of tomatoes, veggies, herbs and wine in a cast iron dutch oven on the grill. Oxtail Osso Buco served on a bed of creamy polenta is the winter warmer you’ve been waiting for!
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lb oxtail segments
-
Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tbsp clarified butter
-
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, medium dice
- 2 large carrots, medium dice
- 3-4 ribs celery, medium dice
- 12 cloves garlic, divided
-
3 cups (1 - 28 oz can) Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, divided
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
- Beef stock, as needed
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups polenta
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup Parmegiano Regiano, fine grated
-
Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
For the Creamy Polenta:
Directions
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 350ºF, set up for indirect grilling.
Preheat your Lodge 7.5 Quart Enameled Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the clarified butter. Season oxtails with salt and Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge oxtails, shaking off excess then transferring to the hot dutch oven. Sear and brown on all sides, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Transfer oxtail segments to a plate and repeat with the remaining oxtail segments.
Add the extra virgin olive oil to the dutch oven. Stir in onions, carrots, celery and crushed cloves of garlic and cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from bottom of pot until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add about 1/3 of the bunch of parsley to the dutch oven, as well as the thyme and bay leaf. Pour the white wine over the veggies and bring to a simmer.
- Add the Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes. Return the oxtail segments to the dutch oven. If there is not enough liquid to cover most of the oxtail segments, then add some beef stock. The beef does not need to be fully submerged.
- Transfer the dutch oven to the grill. Cook, checking the liquid level occasionally. If the liquid reduces all the way, add more beef stock. Cook until meat is nearly falling off the bone, about 2.5-3 hours. If the liquid is still fairly runny, transfer oxtails to a plate and cover with aluminum foil and leave the pot in the cooker until liquid is reduced/thickened.
In the last 30 minutes of the cook, prepare the polenta. Bring the 8 cups of water to a simmer in a pot. Add the polenta, slowly, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the polenta is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring and scraping frequently with a wooded spoon. When the polenta is tender, add the butter and cheese and stir until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- To prepare the gremolata, mince the remaining parsley leaves and garlic and toss in a bowl with the lemon zest. Transfer oxtails back to pot, sprinkle with the parsley mixture, then spoon over liquid, and cover to keep warm. Serve the Oxtail Osso Buco over the creamy polenta.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why dredge the oxtails in flour before searing them?
The flour browns into a deeper crust than plain meat would, and the bits that stay in the pot help thicken the braising liquid as it cooks.
Why sear the oxtails in batches instead of all at once?
Crowding the pot drops the temperature and makes the meat steam rather than brown. Searing in batches gives each piece a proper crust, which builds flavor into the whole braise.
Why add wine and San Marzano tomatoes to the braise?
Their acidity helps tenderize tough oxtail over the long cook, and together they make a savory, slightly bright sauce that balances the rich meat and fat.
Why doesn't the oxtail need to be fully submerged?
Covered in the Dutch oven, steam from the wine, tomatoes, and stock cooks the exposed parts of the meat. Checking the liquid level now and then and topping it off with beef stock keeps it from drying out.
Why finish with gremolata?
Minced parsley, garlic, and lemon zest added at the very end add a fresh, citrusy lift that cuts through the richness of a braise that has cooked for hours.
How do I know when the oxtail is done?
The directions look for meat that's nearly falling off the bone, about 2.5-3 hours. That tenderness comes from collagen breaking down at a high internal temperature, well above the 145°F safety minimum for whole-muscle beef.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A Dutch oven in a 350°F oven braises the oxtail exactly the way the pellet grill does here, and the polenta cooks on the stovetop.
Recipe Highlights
Flour-dredged sear: Builds a deep crust and helps thicken the sauce.
Batch searing: Keeps the pot hot enough to brown, not steam.
Wine-and-tomato braise: Tenderizes the meat and builds a savory base.
Raw gremolata finish: Brightens a long-cooked dish.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 22.69 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 843
- Carbs
- 42 grams
- Protein
- 48 grams
- Fat
- 45 grams
- Sodium
- 645 milligrams
