Oxtail Bourguignon with Caramelized Mushrooms and Garlic

This recipe is from Mellisa Clark's cookbook Diner in French: My Recipes by Way of France.

Step 1: In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the fat in the pot.

Step 2: Season the oxtail with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and heat the bacon fat until it is hot but not smoking. Brown the oxtails in batches. Lay in the meat in a single layer with space in between the pieces. Sear all sides. Take your time, the more color you get on the meat, the richer the sauce will be.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350℉. Stir in the leeks, carrots, and remaining ½teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent burning.

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Step 5: Stir the garlic and tomato paste into the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute, and then add the wine 1 cup of water, and the bay leaf and thyme sprig scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the browned oxtail pieces and half of the cooked bacon to the pot, cover it with a tight-fitting lid, and transfer it to the oven. Bake until the oxtails are very tender, about 2 to 2 hours, turning the pieces halfway through.

Step 6: In a large skillet set over high heat, combine the stock, pearl onions, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, over the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes. Uncover the skillet, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, tossing the vegetables frequently, until they are well browned and caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes.

For The Stew:

  • 5 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 2½ pounds oxtail, cut into 1½-inch chunks
  • 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, cleaned, and thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
  • 3 fat garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine, preferably a pinot noir from Burgundy
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large sprig fresh thyme

For The Mushroom Garnish:

  • ½ cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 8 ounces pearl onions, peeled (about 3 cups)
  • 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved if large (about 3 cups)
  • 12 medium garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Step 7: Transfer the oxtails to a serving bowl, then spoon off the fat on the sureface of the sauce in the pot. If the sauce looks thin, simmer it over high heat until it reduces and thickens. Add the sauce to the serving bowl with the oxtails. To serve, scatter the mushroom garnish and the remaining cooked bacon over the stew and top it with the parsley.