SLOW-COOKED SCOTCH BEEF OXTAIL WITH HORSERADISH ROOT MASH

30 minutes

10 hours on Low, 5 hours on High in your slow cooker

6 (or 4 with leftovers to make soup)

INGREDIENTS

2 Kg (Approx.) Scotch Beef Pig Oxtail Chopped into Thick Rounds, Trimmed of Excess Fat

2 Tbsp Flour Mixed with Salt and Pepper

1 Medium Onion Diced

2 Sticks Celery Finely Chopped

400 G Baby Chantenay Carrots (Those Little Triangular Ones), Topped and Washed, Too Small to Peel. Or 4 Large Carrots Peeled and Cut into Chunks

4 Small Beetroots Peeled and Cut into Quarters

500 ml Beef Stock

Dash of Wine, Sherry or Thin Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Tomato Purée

1 Bay Leaf

Small Bunch Thyme Tied with String

FOR THE MASH

2 large floury potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

200 g celeriac peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium parsnips peeled and cut into chunks

150 ml milk

50 g butter

2 heaped tbsp hot horseradish sauce

COOKING METHOD

This Slow cooked Scotch Beef oxtail with horseradish root mash will become a family favourite. You can often buy a whole oxtail already cut into chunks and vacuum packed, or the butcher will chop up the tail for you. It’s best to fry the oxtail before it goes into the slow cooker to get rid of much of the fat in and around the meat.

TO MAKE THE SLOW COOKED SCOTCH BEEF OXTAIL

In a large, non-stick pan fry the oxtail chunks all over to brown them, adding a light sprinkling of salt as the fat runs. Turn often with tongs and remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the fat. Blot up the fat from the pan but leave the sticky brown bits, add the beef stock, wine or vinegar and the tomato purée and bring to the boil, season to taste.

Sprinkle the browned oxtail with the seasoned flour and place it in the slow cooker along with the onion, celery, carrots and beetroot. Wedge in the bay leaf and thyme and pour over the stock mixture, making sure the ingredients are submerged in it.

Cover with the lid, set on LOW and cook for 10 hrs (or HIGH for 5 hours)

When it’s ready, remove the herbs and check that the meat is tender and check seasoning.

About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, cook the root vegetables for the mash, starting with cold water and cooking for about 20 minutes from boiling.

TO MAKE THE HORSERADISH MASH

Heat the milk with the butter, salt and pepper until warm and the butter just melted. Drain, if making soup (recipe here), reserve the liquid (the celeriac and parsnips impart a lovely flavour) and mash the veg then beat in the warm buttery milk and the horseradish sauce till light and fluffy.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve a piece or two of oxtail per person in a large warm shallow bowl, with lots of vegetables, a nice big scoop of the root mash and plenty of the cooking juices spooned over. Sprinkle the finished plates with a flourish of chopped parsley.