Madeira Braised Oxtail Montaditos

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. 2

   Lightly salt and pepper the oxtails on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add Pancetta and cook until browned, just shy of crisp. Remove and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pan.

3. 3

   Brown the oxtails well on all sides, 10-15 minutes. (Do in batches if they don't all fit in the pan without crowding.) Remove to a plate.

4. 4

   Saute the onion, stirring a few times, 10-15 minutes or until they start to turn golden. Add celery and carrots and cook another 5-10 minutes. When they begin to soften, add the garlic, cook for another minute, then stir in the tomato paste and paprika and cook for a minute more.

5. 5

   Pour in the wine and Madeira and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add the cooked pancetta, thyme, bay leaves, a half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper (adjust salt if stock is salty.) Put back the oxtails back, and stock or water if necessary, so they're 3/4 covered.

6. 6

   Put the pot in oven for 3-4 hours, turning the oxtails in the sauce a few times. Add a little stock or water if it dries out too much.

7. 7

   When oxtails are very tender, remove from the sauce and pull the meat from the bones, discarding them. (While doing this, you can reduce the sauce over a medium-high flame to thicken, if necessary.) Shred and return the meat to the sauce, stir in the Sherry vinegar and simmer a few minutes.

8. 8

   Keeps well (actually improves) after a day or so in the fridge. When chilled, the fat will harden on the surface and is easily removed. ***

9. 9

   For the Montaditos:

10. 10

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

11. 11

    Arrange baguette slices a foil lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

12. 12

    Spread about 2 T of the meat on each piece and cover with slices of cheese. Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

13. 13

    ***This recipe will probably yield more of the braised oxtail than needed for 8 people, depending on what else you're serving and so on. But it freezes well - great to have on hand for future tapas feasts.

No additional tips available.