Queue de Bœuf Grillée

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-quart (7.5-liter) heavy stockpot or Dutch oven
• •Large slotted spoon or skimmer
• •Rimmed sheet pan fitted with a wire rack
• •Pastry brush
• •Low-setting oven broiler

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the aromatic pot

   Inspect the sawn faces of the oxtail and wipe away any bone dust with damp kitchen paper. Arrange the long sections in an 8-quart heavy pot, add the cold water, salt, onions, carrots, leek, bouquet garni, and peppercorns, and make certain the meat is covered by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add a little more cold water if the shape of your pot requires it.

   The longer sections are faithful to the dish and remain substantial after five hours in the pot. A butcher's saw is the honest home equivalent; this is not work for a kitchen knife.
2. 2

   Simmer for tenderness

   Bring the pot slowly toward a simmer, skimming away the grey foam as it gathers. Lower the heat until only lazy bubbles break the surface, partially cover, and cook for five hours, turning the sections carefully once or twice and adding boiling water if the level falls below the meat. A skewer should pass into the thickest meat with little resistance, yet the meat should still hold to the bone. A hard boil can knock the sections apart; if the pot begins to gallop, pull it off the heat for two minutes, lower the flame, and resume gently. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Drain and dry

   Lift each section with a broad slotted spoon, supporting it from beneath, and arrange the pieces on a wire rack set over a tray. Let them drain for five minutes, then blot every surface and crevice with clean kitchen paper. Leave them uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the exterior feels dry rather than tacky. This is the step that decides the crust. If a fresh towel lifts away damp, wait another ten minutes before coating.

4. 4

   Ready sauce and broiler

   Set an oven rack about 8 inches (20 cm) below the broiler and preheat the broiler on low. Warm the ordinary Soubise over gentle heat until it is sufficiently thick to hold the track of a spoon. If it is loose, let it reduce quietly; if it has tightened too far, stir in a tablespoon of strained oxtail cooking liquor. Keep it warm without letting it catch.

5. 5

   Butter and crumb

   Put the melted butter in one shallow dish and the very fine breadcrumbs in another. When serving the ordinary Soubise, dip each dry oxtail section directly in butter. If choosing a highly seasoned sauce instead, brush the sections first with a thin, complete coat of Dijon mustard, then dip them in butter. Roll every section in breadcrumbs, pressing lightly so the crumbs catch without forming heavy clumps, and return it to the rack. If the coating slides, the meat is still damp. Blot it, rest it ten minutes, and begin that section again.

6. 6

   Grill the crust

   Set the rack and tray beneath the low broiler, sprinkle or brush the sections with the remaining melted butter, and grill gently for 10 to 14 minutes. Turn them every three or four minutes so the irregular surfaces bronze evenly. The finished crust should be deep golden, crisp under the spoon, and visibly glossed with butter. If one side darkens too quickly, lower the tray rather than letting the crumbs burn; move it one level closer only for the final minute if the colour remains pale.

7. 7

   Serve with Soubise

   Spoon the thick ordinary Soubise into a warmed oval serving dish, keeping it in a broad mound rather than a loose pool. Arrange the Queue de Bœuf Grillée over the centre so most of the crumb crust remains exposed, and bring it to the table at once. Tender meat, crisp crumbs, thick sauce. Nothing fancier is required. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Tell the butcher you need oxtail cut into sections twice the usual length, about 2½ to 3 inches (6 to 8 cm). The substantial pieces are easier to crumb and grill without the tender meat slipping from the bone.
• •Use very fine, dry breadcrumbs, not coarse flakes. Pulse thoroughly dried plain breadcrumbs until sandy, then pass them through a sieve. Large crumbs brown before they form the close crust this dish requires.
• •Ordinary Soubise must be thick enough to hold a furrow. A loose sauce softens the crumbs on contact. The other classical partners are a thick vegetable purée or sauces à la Diable, Hachée, Piquante, Robert, Tomato, and Italienne; when the chosen sauce is highly seasoned, apply the mustard before the butter and crumbs.
• •A firm cru Beaujolais or a fresh Loire Cabernet Franc has enough acidity for the gelatin-rich tail and enough fruit for the sweet onion in the Soubise. Serve it cool rather than cold.
• •Strain the remaining cooking liquor, chill it promptly, and lift away the set fat. It makes a fine foundation for a vegetable or barley soup and freezes well.

Advance Preparation

• •The oxtail can be simmered up to two days ahead. Drain and dry it on the rack, cool it promptly, then cover loosely and refrigerate. Coat only before serving; warm chilled, coated sections in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes before finishing beneath the broiler.
• •The ordinary Soubise can be prepared two days ahead and reheated over gentle heat. If it sets firmly in the cold, loosen it one spoonful at a time with strained oxtail cooking liquor until it again holds a soft mound.
• •Do not bread the sections hours ahead. The coating absorbs moisture as it waits, while crumbs applied just before grilling stay distinct and crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)