Pappardelle with Oxtail, Mushrooms and Tomato

Yield: 5 servings

Oxtails, meat cut off bone – 3 lb.
Salt and pepper – as needed
Flour – as needed
Olive oil – 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves, chopped – 3
Onion, minced – 1
Carrot, diced – 1
Celery, diced – 1
Pancetta, diced – 4 oz.
Mushrooms – 3 oz.
Dry red wine – 2 cups
Canned whole tomatoes, seeded – 2 cups
Bay leaves – 2
Fresh rosemary sprigs – 2
Veal or other stock – as needed
Fresh pappardelle – 1 lb.

Method:

  1. Season oxtail meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat olive oil and brown oxtail meat and bones. Remove.
  2. Sauté garlic, onion, carrot, celery, pancetta and mushrooms until slightly brown. Return oxtails to vegetables, add wine, tomatoes in their liquid, bay leaves and rosemary. Add veal or other stock if needed for liquid to almost over meat.
  3. Braise, uncovered, in 300F oven 3 hours or until meat is tender. Remove bones and discard. Reduce sauce if necessary. Cook pappardelle and toss with sauce. Ladle oxtail mixture over pasta.