spanish-style oxtails braised with chorizo

the june gloom in LA (go lakers!) has tricked me into thinking its a cold winter's night. so naturally, i wanted to eat something warm, comforting and hearty. i read this great braised oxtail recipe in The Gourmet Cookbook (the big fat yellow one...a GREAT book btw) and my mouth watered when i read it. if you havent tried braised oxtail before, it taste very similar to short ribs but with wayyyyy more flavor.

mise en place

spanish-style oxtails braised with chorizo
recipe from the gourmet cookbook
serves 6 to 8 (but if you are like me and love oxtail, it will most likely serve only 3)

6 lbs meaty oxtails (i got mine from costco)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (i used kosher)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 lb of mild spanish chorizo (make sure its the cured kind and not the fresh sausage)
1 (28-32oz) can whole tomatoes in puree (i used san marzano)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 turkish bay leaf or 1/2 california bay leaf (i used turkish)
1/2 teaspoon sweet or hot spanish smoked paprika
1 cup dry white wine

to serve:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

put a rack in lower third of oven and pre-heart oven to 350 degrees.pat oxtails dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. heat oil in an 8 to 9 quart heavy ovenproof pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. brown oxtails in batches without crowding, turning occasionally, about 5 mins per batch. transfer to a bowl. pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. set pot aside.
remove the casing from chorizo. finely chop chorizo in a food processor; transfer to a small bowl. add tomatoes, with their puree, to processor and coarsely chop.

cook chorizo, onion, carrots, garlic and bay leaf in fat remaining in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 7 mins. add paprika and cook, stirring for 1 min. add wine and deglaze pot by bringing to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits add oxtails with any juice accumulated in bowl, and tomatoes (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat; if necessary; add water) and bring to a boil.

cover pot, transfer to oven, and braise oxtails, turning once or twice, until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
skim fat from sauce. discard bay leaf and stir in parsley, cilantro, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

notes:
-the oxtails improve in flavor if braised 2 days ahead. cool in the pot, uncovered, then cover the surface with parchment or wax paper, cover the pot with the lid and refrigerate. remove any solidified fat before reheating. add the parsley, cilantro and vinegar just before serving.
-if you don't have a large ovenproof pan, you can braise the oxtails in a flameproof roasting pan. brown them in batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet, then transfer them to a roasting pan just large enough to hold them in one layer. cook the chorizo and veggies with the bay leaf in the skillet, then add paprika and wine, as above. add to the roasting pan, along with tomatoes, bring to a boil on the stovetop, and then cover tightly with a lid or foil and braise in the oven.

bon appétit~!

short rib ragu w/ papparadelle

if by ANY chance you have left over short ribs after making braised short ribs, this is a great way to fix 'em up! left overs high unlikely? just thrown in a couple extra when making them just so you can make this recipe the day after! that's what i did.

mise en place

san marzano tomatoes & trader joe's egg pappardelle pasta

short rib ragu w/ papparadelle
serves 4
2 braised short ribs, shredded
1 1/2 - 2 cups sauce from braised short ribs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon oregano (i used dried)
1 bay leaf
1 - 28oz. can crushed san marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup cream (or milk)
salt & pepper
8 oz. pappardelle pasta
shaved parmesan & chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish

in a dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil. add the onion, carrot and celery, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables become tender, approx 6-8 mins. add the garlic, thyme, oregano and bay leaf and sautée for another minute. add the shredded short ribs, short rib sauce and tomatoes. bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 mins, covered. add the cream and simmer for another couple minutes. remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. season to taste.

cook the pappardelle pasta according to the package. serve w/ shaved parmesan and freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.

bon appétit~!

tomato soup with basil pesto

according to an article about women's health on webmd.com, they named tomatoes one of the six super foods, every women needs.

“research is starting to show that lycopene may protect against breast cancer...and it’s also a powerful antioxidant that can help a woman fight heart disease. The very latest research shows it may also help keep you looking younger longer by protecting against UV damage from the sun."


not only is it good for you, it also taste good as a soup!! to me, one of the ultimate comfort food is tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwhich. what i dont like is when restaurants put too much cream in my tomato soup, so i let the person eating it determine how much cream goes into their bowl.

mise en place

tomato soup
6 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 cloves of garlic (paper skin still on)
1 bay leaf
1 can of san marzano tomatos
4 cups of chicken broth
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

to serve
basil pesto
garlic parmesan croutons
creme fraiche

pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. cut the tomatoes in half and core the center. place the tomatoes, skin side up on a baking sheet. place the garlic cloves and thyme springs in between the tomatoes. drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until tops are slightly brown, 20-25 mins. remove from the oven and let cool.

heat a large pot on the stove top to medium-high heat. drizzle olive oil to the pot so the bottom is coated. added the diced onions and saute until softened, about 8 mins. add the bay leaf to the pot. squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin, should just pop out (discard the skin) and add the garlic to the onions. add the roasted tomatoes to the pot as well. the thyme springs can be discarded. stir in 3 cups of the chicken stock and the san marzano tomatoes and bring to a boil. reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20 mins. fish out the bay leaf from the soup and discard. using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth (can also be done in batches in a blender). adjust the consistency of the soup with the remaining 1 cup of the chicken stock. season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste.


when ready to serve, garnish with a table spoon of creme fraiche, croutons and basil pesto. heck, garnish with a whole side of grilled cheese! go crazy.

bon appétit~!

spaghetti marinara with turkey meatballs

this marinara sauce is so easy to make and so delicious that i haven't bought bottled sauce in years. once you try it, you won't ever buy that stuff again either. and why should anyone because this is so much healthier & tastier! the turkey meatballs are a great healthy alternative to traditional meat ones. and i swear, if you don't tell them it's turkey, they might not even notice!

last year for my birthday, jDub gifted me with a cooking class at the new school of cooking in culver city. we took a pasta making class and it was a blast. i highly recommend the classes there. one important thing we learned about is san marzano tomatoes. they are grown in and imported from naples, italy. many chefs argue that they are the best tomatoes in the world. if you ever make this recipe or any other recipe that calls for canned tomatoes, i URGE you to only use san marzano's. you can find them at whole foods. they cost more but i promise, they make a difference. a delicious difference.

mise en place

marinara sauce
4-6 servings
2 - 28 oz cans san marzano tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fleur de sel
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

in a large pot on medium high heat, heat the olive. add the onions, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and sautée until tender. approx 6-8 mins. add the garlic and sautee for another minute or two. add the tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf and stir everything up well. let it come to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer covered for at least 30 mins, up to an hour.

remove from heat and in batches, puree in a blender. return it back to the pot, heat it if necessary and add the butter. the butter cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a smoothness to the sauce. you can add more if you feel necessary. season to taste with more salt and pepper.


turkey meatballs
makes 24 meatballs
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

mise en place

in a skillet, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter melts and starts to foam. add the onions and sautée with a dash of salt and pepper until tender and transluscent. approx 5 mins. add the garlic and sautée for another minute or two.

in a large bowl, add all the ingredients. using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until everything is just well combined. do not over mix.

form the mixture into 1 1/2" balls. chill for at least 30 mins.


in a large skillet, on medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of butter until the butter melts and starts to foam. cook the meatballs until all sides are well browned and they are cooked through.

add the meatballs to the marinara sauce and simmer for 15 mins.
serve with spaghetti and top with freshly grated parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.

bon appétit~!