Anyone who has discovered all the body parts of farm animals for themselves will not be able to avoid a very special dish. A dish that is also not the focus of well-known meat specialties is oxtail. Yes, as some readers have already guessed, it involves the tail of an ox. Yes, it can also be used to conjure up a tasty meal– nose to tail, as it is called in modern parlance. Anyone who wants to prepare an ox tail embarks on a culinary journey that combines tradition and craftsmanship and allows forgotten flavors to be rediscovered.
It is essential that the chef has experience in preparing dishes with all types of meat. The first step is to go to an experienced butcher and buy an oxtail weighing around 1 kilo for a lunch or dinner for 4 people. This should be chopped into slices about the thickness of a thumb.
Preparation
At home, wash the pieces thoroughly, dry, salt and pepper them and fry them in a large pan with 2 tablespoons of butter until brown on all sides. Then add the appropriate root vegetables, such as carrots, celery or yellow turnips, and a medium onion, cleaned and finely chopped, to the pan and fry them too. The meat is then cooked for two to three hours until soft – patience pays off in terms of taste.
Of course, both boiled potatoes and bread dumplings go well with it as a side dish. Don’t forget to garnish the dish with fresh parsley cut into small pieces and grated horseradish. If you like, serve with a glass of strong red wine to round off the flavor of the dish.
Time Travel Tip: At the butcher’s shop Gissinger ham, sausage and meat specialties in Ottakringer Straße in Vienna’s 16th district, you can buy this special delicacy.
Are you still looking for a suitable dessert? How about the Viennese Polsterziprf?
Editor and picture: Michael Ellenbogen
Sources: www.wikimeat.at/Ochsenschlepp 12.2.2024
Perlen der Wiener Küche by Franz Ruhm, Deutsche Buchgemeinschaft, Vienna, 1950, pages: 58/59)
